The ongoing problems of holes appearing in the runway of Argyle International Airport have resulted in the airport being downgraded temporarily and some flights being cancelled or delayed.
iWitness News has been reporting since February about the issue of the hole appearing in the runway, as quickly as they are patched.
iWitness News was plane spotting at the airport on Saturday evening when the Miami-bound American Airlines flight AA3098, a Boeing 737-823, began taxing out to the runway around 5:24 p.m.
The aircraft then turned around and taxied back to the ramp.
Two pick-up trucks then drove to a section of the runway, and the occupants exited, appeared to be picking up items from the surface and placing them in plastic buckets.
Our inquiries revealed that the aircraft had refused to take off because of a hole that had appeared in the runway.
The situation delayed a Caribbean Airlines flight, BWA554 to New York, a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, which departed the airport at 7:56 p.m.
However, the American Airlines flight was cancelled because the crew had run out of duty time.
Then, on Sunday, the US Federal Aviation Authority issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen/Air Missions) informing that the AIA had been temporarily downgraded to accommodate aircraft with a maximum take-off weight below 225,000lbs.
This resulted in the cancellation of the Virgin Atlantic flight, which was scheduled to operate between London and St. Vincent via Barbados.
The New Democratic Party administration, which came to office on Tuesday, is yet to comment on the ongoing situation.
On Oct. 13, iWitness News asked then-prime minister Ralph Gonsalves about the cause of the issue and the permanent solution his government was considering.
Gonsalves said:
“There is a challenge with the part. And this is not unusual, with the aerodrome at Argyle or anywhere else, and the management at Argyle International, they’re doing temporary fixes, but they have a more permanent fix what they’re dealing with. And they have assured me that they have everything in hand, and they’ve given me all the reports, and that’s basically it.”
However, one source familiar with the situation told iWitness News that AIA management has little choice but to close the airport if they are to implement a lasting fix to the runway issues, but has been trying to avoid doing so.
The source, however, said that with the developments this weekend, downgrades and flight cancellations might force the authorities to do what they have been trying to avoid for more about a year.
The source said and even more urgent and graver issue is a defective area of the runway close to the touchdown zone.
Constant sun softens asphalt, making it more susceptible to deformation from aircraft tires. Intense tropical downpours test drainage systems. If water seeps into the pavement base through cracks, it weakens the entire structure and leads to potholes and “alligator cracking”. Also in coastal airports, salt can accelerate corrosion of underlying materials and may affect certain asphalt mixes.
The solution is a holistic one: invest in a polymer-modified asphalt mix designed for heavy aircraft in hot climates, ensure flawless construction, and implement a rigorous, funded preventive maintenance schedule. The initial cost is high, but it’s far less than the constant cycle of emergency repairs.
This is SOLELY on the previous administration who thought that if you hid a problem for long that it will go away. I hope the present government does the right thing and temporarily close the airport and have the situation rectified before the mass arrivals for the Christmas season.
The ULP built it but like many projects, they never understood the need to maintain!!!!
And so, I continue to prefer flying to Barbados and then enjoying SVG air to Union Island. We simply cannot expect any new government to fix 25 years of lingering and worsening problems overnight.
its just like the roads, not fit for purpose. Built by the friends of the previous “regime” …. with our money…..where did it go or was it the case of no quality control over useless contractors?
Either way we have an airport runway tat has hardly been used or had a lot of continuous use and its not fit for purpose and our money has gone. It was a con raid
Why not close the airport so that the repairs will be done and then flights can be restored. It’s dangerous for planes to be taking off on rugged area. AIA is experiencing the same situation like the roads in SVG.
This new piece of information is eye opener. Ralph commented “he always looking around the corner”, so why didn’t he see this. The Christmas season; visitors to SVG may have second thought. With Trump radars in the sky and potholes on AIA, it’s almost unsafe to fly to the Caribbean and SVG.
Isn’t there a similar problem at the new port? The ULP keep borrowing money for new projects before older projects are completed and safe. That port money should have been used to fix all potholes.
Watch out folks!