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The Grantley Adams International Airport.

Airport to resume operations today

The Grantley Adams International Airport will resume operations today at 11 a.m.

Tourism and International Transport Minister, Senator Lisa Cummins, made the announcement yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. She said the airport, which had been closed on Thursday hours ahead of Elsa’s bruising winds, had withstood the hurricane.

“We did not have any infrastructural damage except an ancillary facility, which is a Civil Aviation Training Centre, but we subsequently did experience water damage coming in through one of the areas which resulted in an electrical fire in the airport facility. That therefore took power down at the airport, which had compromised the ability of the Grantley Adams International Airport to reopen once the all clear was given,” she said.

Cummins also pointed out that several other locations which make up the GAIA were impacted by the power outages across the island.

“In addition, I know many people see the physical facility of the airport, but the airport actually has secondary locations all across the country in nine specific locations, which provide satellite services for Air Traffic Control. As we’ve dealt with island-wide power challenges in many locations, the power has been out at those locations, which have made it challenging for our satellite systems and our air traffic control to safely guide aircraft back into Barbados, and also for the purposes of departure. We’re pleased to report that we’ve been working closely with the Grantley Adams International team, with the Barbados Light and Power, and with private service providers to ensure that we’re able to respond to the damage caused by the fire at Grantley Adams International. It was quickly contained, but there is some smoke damage which is remaining. As I said, it was an electrical fire, so they are working on identifying parts. I’m sure you would understand that as the PM said, there is not a duplicate of the Grantley Adams International Airport. So if a part has gone down, there is nothing like it on the island and so we either have to source the equipment, or we have to borrow and make do, or make any arrangements,” she said.

The minister indicated that for those travellers into the island who would have already taken PCR tests overseas, but had their plans disrupted because of the hurricane, arrangements have been put in place for testing on arrival in Barbados.

(JMB)

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