Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands – July 7, 2017 , The Salt Cay Airport, following years of neglect and in a rundown state has lost its license now as an airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the residents are asking why.
It was complaints by the residents on national radio and the response to those complaints of the lone airline service provider to Salt Cay which exposed that the airport was shut down, as unsuitable, by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Caicos Express Airways on Friday issued a release to say the cessation of their flights into Salt Cay came as a result of a licensing issue.
“We would like to make it known that this suspension of service is in no way indicative of the commitment that Caicos Express Airways has for Salt Cay or the Turks & Caicos Islands on a whole that we service with pride every day. The Civil Aviation Authority (TCICAA) has taken the decision to restrict public transport operations into the Salt Cay aerodrome, in the interest of safety therefore, as an AOC (Air Operating Certificate) holder we are by law prohibited from operating into an Un-certificated aerodrome. At Caicos Express Airways our number one priority is the safety of the travelling public. And we are committed to resume service into Salt Cay as soon as the required repairs to the Airport are completed and the certificate is reinstated.”
Magnetic Media immediately reached out to the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority for an explanation on why this closure was allowed to happen in the first place.
The TCIAA responded by media statement on Saturday, only to announce though what the country already knew, that indeed the Salt Cay Airport was closed to air traffic.
Our news organization was informed that the runway is a mess, in a deteriorated state and that the runway should be lengthened at the Salt Cay Airport. The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority did not explain, in that media statement what would be done now for the Salt Cay Airport to regain its aerodrome certificate.
The Turks and Caicos Civil Aviation Authority revoked the license of the Salt Cay airport since June 26 (2017).
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