Montserrat was cut off from air travel in 1995 when the volcano destroyed the main airport. However, now this emerald isle can be accessed by air, since the new Gerald's Airport has recently been reopened on July 11th, 2005.There are four daily flights via Antigua and two daily flights to St. Maarten. The island hopes to continue adding different types of flights as it rebuilds. Also the airport soon be able to have charter services to surrounding islands. For travelers coming from North America, Air Canada, American Airlines via San Juan, BWIA, Continental Airlines, and US Airways offer direct flights to Antigua and St. Maarten. Then, travelers can connect on one of these daily flights from the airports in Montserrat.
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands. It is part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Montserrat is also known as the "Emerald Isle" of the Caribbean. The Soufriere Hills volcano has caused most of southern Montserrat to be evacuated leaving only the Northern Zone of the island inhabited. Montserrat is only reachable by ferry from Antigua.
Gerald's Airport in Montserrat was reportedly inaugurated eight years after the old one was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1997. It is a major airports in Montserrat. Another important airports in Montserrat is W. H. Bramble Airport. The Gerald's Airport is one of the small international airports of Montserrat. It is located on the island of Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.
Gerald's passenger terminal was dedicated in February 2005 by Anne, Princess Royal. While the facility was formally opened on July 11, 2005. It features a 600 metre runway, a restaurant, modern air traffic control technology, immigration facilities, and is the only airport in the Caribbean with a public tunnel under its runway. The total cost of construction was approximately US$18.5 million.
The completion of Gerald's Airport allowed for the resumption of regular commercial airline service to Montserrat for the first time since 1997, when W.H. Bramble Airport, which had been the island's only aviation gateway, was completely destroyed by an eruption of the nearby Soufriere Hills volcano. Between 1997 and 2005, Montserrat had been only accessible by helicopters or boats.
|
|
The major airline services from the Gerald's Airport is Air Montserrat (Antigua),Carib Aviation (Antigua),Windward Islands Airways or WinAir. WinAir and USAir also maintain a code share agreement, allowing USAir to sell tickets on WinAir flights as USAir flights.
W.H. Bramble Airport is also known as Blackburne Airport. It was a small international airport near the southwest coast of the island of Montserrat. Named after Montserrat Chief Minister William Henry Bramble, this is another major airports in Montserrat. It was located near the now-abandoned capital of Plymouth. The facility was destroyed in 1997 by an eruption of the nearby Soufriere Hills volcano. Bramble Airport had used the IATA airport code MNI, but this has now been transferred to
the new Gerald's Airport.
Montserrat is a quiet, laid-back island where you can hike, birdwatch, snorkel, or enjoy a couple of drinks over a game of dominoes. Montserrat is the spiritual heart of Catalonia and here you can find the high peaks of the Serra de Montserrat. While Montserrat still depends on aid from the British government, its prospects are looking brighter. A new airport opened in 2005 hopes to bring a steady stream of visitors from Antigua and beyond.
For more info on Caribbean and Atlantic log on to the website Flightsu.com
|
