Salt Cay Airport

Salt Cay Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic (Turks And Caicos domestic flights only) (scheduled & charter)
OperatorTurks and Caicos Civil Aviation Department
LocationSalt Cay, Turks Islands
Elevation AMSL12 ft / 4 m
Coordinates21°20′N 071°12′W / 21.333°N 71.200°W / 21.333; -71.200
Map
MBSY is located in Turks and Caicos Islands
MBSY
MBSY
Location in Salt Cay
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 822 2,697 Paved
Source: DAFIF[1] SkyVector[2]

Salt Cay Airport (IATA: SLX, ICAO: MBSY) is the public airport serving Salt Cay, the second largest of the Turks Islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The facility is also known as Leon Wilson Airport.[3]

History

On 26 June 2017, Salt Cay Airport's Aerodrome Certificate expired, and the Turks & Caicos Islands Civil Aviation Authority chose not to renew it on the basis of safety concerns with the runway and other infrastructure. For example, the runway was still in need of resurfacing. As a result, Caicos Express Airways, the only airline serving Salt Cay Airport at the time, ended all its flights to the airport on 7 July.[4][5] On 18 August 2017 the TCICAA lifted the restriction on Salt Cay airport.[6]

Salt Cay airport was closed again in late July 2019 for major upgrades, scheduled to last for 10 weeks, according to in The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority.[7] The airport opening was delayed with upgrades plus repairs, and the facility reopened in October 2020.[3] At the same time, it was also renamed to 'Leon Wilson Airport' in honor of a parliamentarian from Salt Cay.[3]

References

  1. ^ Airport information for SLX at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  2. ^ "MBSY: Salt Cay Airport". SkyVector. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Salt Cay Airport (SLX)". Visit Turks & Caicos Islands. n.d. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos Islands closed to commercial ops". ch-aviation. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  5. ^ Isles, Delana (17 July 2017). "Cronyism at play in Salt Cay aerodrome closure, ex-premier accuses". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  6. ^ The Turks and Caicos Sun (18 August 2017). "Salt Cay airport reopened". The Turks and Caicos Sun. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  7. ^ Olivia Rose (17 June 2019). "Salt Cay Airport to close for 10 weeks for major upgrades $4.5 million earmarked for repairs". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. Retrieved 3 July 2019.


Stub icon

This article about a Caribbean airport is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This Turks and Caicos Islands location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.