Update: St Helena Airport reopened

UPDATE: Sunday, 15 February: St Helena Airport has regained its Category 6 accreditation for its firefighting capabilities, and full operations will now resume, with the first scheduled flight set for Tuesday, 17 February. 

The Airlink flight will be subject to favourable weather, as the island's 1,550-metre dramatic runway often sees shifting crosswinds that make landing and take-off more complex. 

Ticket sales for this flight, or for Saturday, 21 February, are not open. 

"Those with pre-booked tickets specifically for these flights should travel as normal. The remaining seats will be used for repatriation and allocated based on the length of delay. Please do not contact Airlink or the Airport, Solomons will contact you with an update," St Helena Island said in a statement. 

Bookings will reopen for Tuesday, 24 February and beyond in due course. 

The island further stated the opening was "down to the incredible hard work and long hours put in by the mechanics at the airport, supported by specialist engineers from Marcé."

"Full commissioning tests have been undertaken with tender R1, which will be supported by R3 and St Helena Fire and Rescue Service. The results have been accepted by the independent regulator, ASSI. Repairs to R2 will continue, but do not affect accreditation. We continue to look at longer term replacement options, with the support of FCDO, to ensure better resilience. We would like to thank everyone for their patience, support and resilience through this challenging period."  

READ: The ultimate guide to Saint Helena Island

UPDATE: Thursday, 12 February: St Helena Airport Closure: Here's what you need to know

St Helena Island has faced a week-long disruption after the airport was closed on 6 February, due to concerns about the readiness of its firefighting equipment.

Following urgent work by the airport, St Helena Airport has been cleared to operate at Category 4, enabling medical evacuation flights and small charter jets to bring in spare parts and technical support. While this restores a critical lifeline, commercial passenger flights remain suspended.  

Airlink, the operator of the primary air connection to the island from Johannesburg, with seasonal flights from Cape Town, has suspended its operations and future flight bookings to St Helena.  

According to a statement shared by the St Helena Government, the suspension is not an "indication of how long the disruption will last", with flights "cancelled on a flight-by-flight basis, as necessary" - with commercial flights canceled up until 15 February.  

Airlink has advised affected passengers to contact its reservations office on +27 (0)11 451-7300 between 05h00 and 21h00, or to speak directly with their travel agents, adding that further updates will be shared as the situation at St Helena Airport evolves. 

What's required to restore Category 6 status?  

To get the airport back to full operating status, authorities are working on both immediate fixes and longer-term solutions. In the short term, specialised spare parts are being flown in from Germany and are expected to arrive on the island later this week. Once on site, the parts will need to be fitted, reassembled and thoroughly tested - a process expected to take several days - before the airport can be safely cleared for normal operations.

Looking further ahead, the St Helena Government is also exploring the replacement of critical firefighting vehicles, with potential support from the UK Government. These fire appliances are highly specialised and usually built to order, meaning a permanent solution will take time.  

Officials say they are actively considering all possible temporary and long-term alternatives to ensure the airport can meet international safety standards going forward.

"We are working with the regulator across all solutions to understand how we can safely achieve a return to Category 6 status for normal operations to resume as soon as possible."  

The island further acknowledged the frustration surrounding the disruption, saying a full and transparent review will follow once the immediate operational response is complete.