The Opening of 'The World’s Most Useless Airport' in Remote Saint Helena

Last weekend, after five years of construction and controversy, the tiny and isolated British island of Saint Helena welcomed its first scheduled commercial flight. Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, is one of the most remote islands in the world—a volcanic outcrop with an area of only 47 square miles. According to Reuters, the only way to access the island previously was by sea, “a five-night voyage from Cape Town.” The new airport, servicing the 4,500 island inhabitants with flights from South Africa, was built at a cost of $374 million. Construction was completed in 2016, but test flights ran into serious weather-related problems, pushing the opening back more than a year, leading to the nickname “world’s most useless airport.” Gathered here are a handful of images from the inaugural flight and from around Saint Helena.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Joe Raedle / Getty
    • In Focus
    • 2:41 PM ET
    • 28 Photos

    The Impact of Climate Change on Kivalina, Alaska

    The small village of Kivalina is threatened on several fronts by a warming Arctic climate, as the ground it sits on erodes, and the animals the villagers rely on become more difficult to hunt.

  • Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • Sep 17, 2019
    • 26 Photos

    Devastated by Dorian: Photos From the Bahamas

    Recent images of the hard-hit islands of the Abacos and Grand Bahama, as residents receive aid, recover what they can, and contemplate their next steps

  • Ulet Ifansasti / Getty
    • In Focus
    • Sep 16, 2019
    • 21 Photos

    Fires in Indonesia Blanket Islands and Cities in Smog

    Thick clouds of smoke and haze are blanketing much of Southeast Asia, due to largely illegal efforts to burn thousands of acres to clear land for farms and palm-oil plantations.

  • Smithsonian Institution
    • In Focus
    • Sep 9, 2019
    • 42 Photos

    Photos of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair

    In April 1904, St. Louis opened its doors to the world, welcoming millions to see the fascinating buildings and exhibits of art, technology, and history on display at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. ‘This Is Clearly Coming From Outside the Solar System’
  2. When the Culture War Comes for the Kids
  3. We Spent 10 Months Investigating Kavanaugh. Here’s What We Found.
  4. The Game That Made Rats Jump for Joy
  5. Why Ex–Sanders Supporters Are Backing Warren
  6. Trump Is Not Well
  7. Malcolm Gladwell Reaches His Tipping Point
  8. The Impact of Climate Change on Kivalina, Alaska
  9. The Problem With Sugar-Daddy Science
  10. How Ancient DNA Can Help Recast Colonial History
Back to Top