SHG is pleased to confirm that the major incident regarding airport operations has now been stood down. This follows the return of all three airport fire tenders to full operational status and successful flights to and from St Helena, Ascension and South Africa this week. Normal operations have now resumed.
Gold Command stands down
With the airport now operating as normal, the Gold Command Group was formally stood down this morning, with a final briefing which included thanks to all teams involved from the Chief Minister.
The work of Gold Command was underpinned by the Multi-Agency Gold Incident Command (MAGIC) training undertaken last year, as well as emergency response plan testing overseen by the Emergency Planning Department. This internationally recognised framework ensured that the Major Incident was managed with a high level of coordination.
A formal multi-agency debrief will be conducted in the forthcoming weeks. This process is designed to identify further improvements to the process and highlight where close multi-agency working was successfully implemented.
Strengthening resilience and infrastructure
Whilst the major incident has concluded, further work will continue led by the airport or the relevant portfolio.
These workstreams include:
New fire tenders for the airport
The issues with the airport fire tenders have caused us to speed up our scheduled replacement programme. With thanks to support from the FCDO, we have been able to order two new fire tenders for delivery early in the new financial year.
Business support
Work on a support package for local businesses directly impacted by the airport closure continues to progress. More information on this will be available shortly.
Investigation into the incident
The Governor has previously committed to an investigation to establish the root cause of the airport closure. This is now in the planning phase. More detail will be shared in due course. We remain committed to transparency.
A message of thanks
The successful restoration of services in less than two weeks is a testament to the resilience and collective spirit of our community.
Chief Secretary and Gold Commander, Ian Todd, said:
“I am extremely grateful to everyone involved for the long hours and hard work put into resolving this incident. That is not just public servants but also the Governor’s Office, Saint Helena Airport Ltd, Solomons and many other individuals and organisations. The teamworking ethos has been exceptional. Our major incident plans have worked effectively, which I hope reassures the public.”
A passenger affected by the Airport Closure, Lauren Williams, conveyed her thanks:
“Following the temporary closure of Saint Helena Airport, I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in resolving the situation and restoring flights as quickly as possible. As someone travelling alone, it was a stressful and uncertain time, and I really appreciated the regular updates and clear communication, which helped reassure us and kept us informed throughout.
I’m also extremely grateful for how well we were looked after in Johannesburg — accommodation, meals, and support were all organised and handled smoothly, which took a huge weight off my shoulders.
Thanks to the hard work, overtime, and commitment of everyone involved, I was able to return home safely to my family sooner than expected, and I will always be grateful for the care and effort shown during such a difficult situation.”
#StHelena #AirAccess
