An independent report looking into the viability of operating various types of aircraft at John A Osborne Airport in Montserrat has been shared with the government.
However, it cannot be released to the public until the end of the current tender process for additional air transport services, the Governor’s Office has said.
The office requested bids for an assessment, aimed at maximising the potential of the airport, in January 2023.
A press release at the time said the study would compare the overall viability of DHC6 Twin Otter, BN2 Islander, Cessna 208 Caravan and Pilatus PC12 aircraft, possibly among others.
For each aircraft it would need to examine the performance characteristics of the aircraft, the load restrictions and the resultant operating costs.
“The final report should quote the provenance of data used, including that associated with the average temperatures, pressures and wind, the assumptions made,” the release said.
It added that report should clearly set out any recommendations with outline costings.
On 16 April, this year, a spokesperson from the Governor’s Office told Montserrat Focus that the report was “expected in the next few weeks”.
Once received, they said, UK’s Air Safety Support International (ASSI) will review the assessment before it is made public,.
In response to Montserrat Focus queries, the Governor’s Office said they were unable to say who was contracted to carry out the assessment or the cost, because: “We do not share commercial information.”
On 8 October, following repeated requests for an update, a spokesperson from the Governor’s Office said the report had been received and shared with the Ministry of Communication, Works, Labour and Energy.
They added: “However, there is a live tender process at present in air access and so nothing can be released during this period.”
Governor Sarah Tucker is responsible for ensuring the security and safety of operations at the airport, however, that responsibility has been delegated to ASSI which acts as a regulator.
As an international airport, John A Osborne Airport is subject to the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The regulatory code for the UK’s overseas territories are the Overseas Territories Aviation Requirements.
In 2016, the ICAO introduced the requirement for ‘runway end safety areas’ at airports, which specified that ‘Code One’ non-instrument runways should have a safety area of 30 metres.
John A Osborne Airport has a Code One runway and therefore had to make the change to comply with the code.
Why do we continue to let these people take us for fools?
What harm could come from sharing an independent report with people who you want to bid on airline services for Montserrat?