George F. L. Charles Airport
| George F. L. Charles Airport | |||||||||||
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| IATA: SLU – ICAO: TLPC | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Saint Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority | ||||||||||
| Location |
 Castries, Saint Lucia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 22 ft / 7 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 14°01′13″N 060°59′35″W / 14.02028°N 60.99306°WCoordinates: 14°01′13″N 060°59′35″W / 14.02028°N 60.99306°W | ||||||||||
| Website | http://www.slaspa.com/ | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  SLU Location in Saint Lucia | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Helipads | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2012) | |||||||||||
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George F. L. Charles Airport (formerly Vigie Airport) (IATA: SLU, ICAO: TLPC) is the smaller of two airports in Saint Lucia, the other being Hewanorra International Airport. It is located 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Castries, the capital city. George F. L. Charles Airport is managed by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority (SLASPA). Its runway runs parallel to a pristine beach, Vigie Beach, which is a popular tourist attraction.
History
The airport was renamed on 4 August 1997 in honor of Saint Lucia politician Sir George Frederick Lawrence Charles (1916–2004).[2]
Traffic
On average, George F. L. Charles Airport handles 32,000 flights per year carrying 394,000 passengers. Most of these flights operate with turboprop aircraft such as the ATR 72-500 or the Bombardier Dash 8.
The airport currently has no scheduled jet service. All jet service into St. Lucia, including transatlantic flights, operates via Hewanorra International Airport, on the southeast portion of the island. The airport previously had jet service flown by Caribair (Puerto Rico) which in 1970 was operating McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jetliners with nonstop flights to Barbados and Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe with direct service to Antigua, Port of Spain, Trinidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas.[3]
Airlines
The following airlines operate passenger flights to George F. L. Charles Airport:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Antilles | Fort-de-France |
| Air Caraïbes | Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre |
| Air France operated by Air Antilles | Seasonal: Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre |
| Caribbean Airlines | Port of Spain |
| Caricom Airways | Paramaribo |
| Corsair operated by Air Antilles | Seasonal: Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre |
| Fly All Ways | Barbados, Fort-de-France, Saint Vincent |
| Hummingbird Air | St. Croix (suspended) |
| LIAT | Antigua, Barbados, Douglas–Charles Hall, Fort-de-France, Port of Spain, Saint Kitts, Sint Maarten, Saint Vincent |
Charter
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Airawak | Fort-de-France |
| Air Sunshine | Dominica, San Juan |
| FlyMontserrat | Montserrat |
| Inter Caribbean Express | Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Port of Spain, Saint Kitts, Saint Vincent |
| Mustique Airways | Mustique, Union Island |
| Rainbow International Airlines | Anguilla |
| Servicios Aéreos Profesionales | Seasonal: Punta Cana |
| St Barth Commuter | Saint Barthélemy |
| SVG Air | Canouan, Mustique, Union Island |
| Trans Anguilla Airways | Anguilla |
| VI Airlink | Beef Island |
Other facilities
The airport houses the George Charles Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority,[4] General Aviation Services, and the Island Flyers Club.
Navigation
The airport offers an RNAV and NDB approach only on Runway 9. Landings on Runway 27 are strictly visual.
Accidents and incidents
On 8 November 2015, a Beechcraft Model 99, registered N7994H, veered off the runway into a grassy area at George F. L. Charles Airport after the aircraft's right landing gear malfunctioned. The sole occupant of the aircraft, the pilot, was not harmed. Following the incident, Hummingbird Air suspended all operations, and the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority launched an investigation.
References
- ↑ Airport information for TLPC at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ↑ "St Lucia government press release concerning re-naming" (Press release). stlucia.gov.lc.
- ↑ http://airwaysnews.com/html/timetables/caribbeanairlines, April 1, 1970 Caribair system timetable
- ↑ "George Charles Oustation." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority Retrieved on 23 December 2012.