V. C. Bird International Airport

V. C. Bird International Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority
Location St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
Hub for
Elevation AMSL 62 ft / 19 m
Coordinates 17°08′12″N 061°47′35″W / 17.13667°N 61.79306°W / 17.13667; -61.79306Coordinates: 17°08′12″N 061°47′35″W / 17.13667°N 61.79306°W / 17.13667; -61.79306
Website vcbia.com
Map
ANU

Location in Antigua

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
07/25 3,068 10,066 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Passengers 919,748
Passenger change 08–09 Decrease8.6%
Aircraft movements 40,489
Movements change 08–09 Decrease3.0%
Source: DAFIF,[1][2] 2009 World Airport Traffic Report.[3]

V. C. Bird International Airport (IATA: ANU, ICAO: TAPA) is an international airport located on the island of Antigua, 8 km (5.0 mi) northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.

History

The airport originally was operated by the United States Army Air Forces.

The airport was built as a United States Army Air Forces base around 1941, and named Coolidge Airfield after Capt. Hamilton Coolidge (1895–1918), a United States Army Air Service pilot killed in World War I.

Flying units assigned to the airfield were:

Renamed Coolidge Air Force Base in 1948, it was closed as a result of budgetary cutbacks in 1949, with right of re-entry retained by the United States. Agreements were subsequently reached with the United Kingdom and, later, the Antigua government upon independence, for the establishment and maintenance of missile tracking facilities. Antigua Air Station was established on a portion of the former Coolidge AFB. As of 2011, NASA continues to utilize the Antigua facility for launch tracking services on an as-needed basis; and did so for the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory on 26 November 2011.[4]

Upon the closure of the base in 1949 it became a civil airport. It was known as Coolidge International Airport until 1985, when it was named in honor of Sir Vere Cornwall Bird (1910–1999), the first prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.

In December 2005, the Antigua and Barbuda Millennium Airport Corporation announced it would invite tenders to construct the first phase of a new passenger terminal designed to serve the airport for 30 years. In 2012, they announced the construction of its second terminal.

The new terminal became operational on August 26, 2015. All flights operate from the new facility. The terminal covers 23,000 square meters (247,570 square feet), with four jet bridges, modern security screening facilities, up-to-date passenger processing and monitoring facilities, and a CCTV security system. It contains 46 check in counters, 15 self-check in kiosks, 5 baggage carousels, mini food court, multiple VIP lounges, bank, retail stores, first class lounges, restaurants, and other Facilities. Other improvements included a newly constructed car park; parallel to the old terminal, along with other airport offices.[5]

The old airport terminal is not fully out of use, as some offices still remain there.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Toronto–Pearson
American Airlines Miami, New York–JFK
Seasonal: Charlotte
British Airways London–Gatwick
Caribbean Airlines Kingston–Norman Manley, Port of Spain
Condor Seasonal: Frankfurt
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Atlanta
JetBlue Airways New York–JFK
LIAT Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica–Douglas/Charles, Pointe-à-Pitre, Santo Domingo, St. Kitts, St. Lucia–Vigie, St. Maarten, St. Vincent-Argyle, Tortola
Neos Air Seasonal: Milan–Malpensa
PAWA Dominicana St. Maarten, Santo Domingo-Las Americas1
Thomas Cook Airlines Seasonal: Manchester
United Airlines Newark
Virgin Atlantic London–Gatwick
WestJet Toronto–Pearson

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Ameriflight San Juan
Amerijet International Dominica–Douglas/Charles, Miami, Santiago de los Caballeros, St. Maarten
DHL Aviation San Juan, St. Maarten
FedEx Feeder
operated by Mountain Air Cargo
San Juan, Dominica-Douglas–Charles

Other facilities

Accidents and incidents

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. Airport information for TAPA at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
  2. Airport information for ANU / TAPA at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. Airport Council International's 2009 World Airport Traffic Report
  4. "Mars Science Lander launch coverage". NASA TV. NASA. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
  5. "V.C Bird International Airport - Airport Development". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  6. "Contact Us." LIAT. Retrieved on 23 December 2012. "LIAT HEADQUARTERS LIAT (1974) LTD V.C. Bird International Airport P O Box 819 Coolidge Antigua"
  7. "Antigua Outstation." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 23 December 2012.
  8. "Fly Montserrat Airplane Crash in Antigua reported." Spice Media Group. 8 October 2012. Retrieved on 8 October 2012.
  9. Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, ECCAA. "Interim Report Released on Cause of Fly Montserrat Crash: Water In Fuel Feeding System". MNI Alive. Retrieved 14 October 2012. (Archive)

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