John A. Osborne Airport is a small airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located near the village of Gerald's on the island of Montserrat

Montserrat

Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...

, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

.

Gerald's passenger terminal was dedicated in February 2005 by Anne, Princess Royal

Anne, Princess Royal

Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...

 and the facility was formally opened on July 11, 2005. It features a 600 metre runway

Runway

According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

, a restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

, modern air traffic control

Air traffic control

Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...

 technology, immigration

Immigration

Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

 facilities, and is the only airport in the Caribbean with a public tunnel under its runway. The total cost of construction was approximately US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

18.5 million.

The completion of Gerald's Airport allowed for the resumption of regular commercial airline service to Montserrat for the first time since 1997, when W. H. Bramble Airport

W. H. Bramble Airport

W.H. Bramble Airport, also known as Blackburne Airport, was a small international airport on the east coast of the island of Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean....

, which had been the island's only aviation gateway, was completely destroyed by an eruption of the nearby Soufriere Hills volcano. Between 1997 and 2005, Montserrat had been accessible only by helicopters or boats.

The airport's name was changed in July 2008 to honour John Osborne

John Osborne (politician)

John Alfred Osborne was a chief minister of Montserrat.He first came to that position in November 1978, as a member of the People's Liberation Movement, and continued until losing legislative council elections on October 10, 1991. By 2001 he had switched parties, joining the New People's...

, long-standing Chief Minister of Montserrat

Chief Minister of Montserrat

The Chief Minister of Montserrat is the head of government of Montserrat, an island in the Caribbean that is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, appointed by the Governor of Montserrat on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, Montserrat's head of state. The current Chief Minister of Montserrat is...

.

Airlines and destinations

Charter

External links

• FlyMontserrat
• Air Montserrat (ceased operations)