RAF Stanley
| Port Stanley Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Falkland Islands Government | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Stanley, Falkland Islands | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 75 ft / 23 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°41′08.42″S 57°46′39.52″W / 51.6856722°S 57.7776444°WCoordinates: 51°41′08.42″S 57°46′39.52″W / 51.6856722°S 57.7776444°W | ||||||||||||||
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Port Stanley Airport (IATA: PSY, ICAO: SFAL) is a STOLport in the Falkland Islands, two miles (3.2 km) outside the capital, Stanley. The airport is the only civilian airport in the islands with a paved runway. However, RAF Mount Pleasant, located to the west of Stanley, functions as the islands' main international airport, because it has a long runway and allows civilian flights. Port Stanley Airport is operated by the Government of the Falkland Islands, and is used for internal flights between the Islands and flights between the Falklands and Antarctica.
Prior to 1972, there was no airport in the Falkland Islands with a paved runway, and all trips to the islands had to be undertaken by boat. However, in the early 1970s, the Falkland Islands Company decided to withdraw its monthly supply ship to Montevideo, Uruguay, increasing the desirability of an air link to the South American mainland.
In 1971, the Argentine Air Force broke the islands' isolation starting with amphibious flights from Comodoro Rivadavia with Grumman HU-16B Albatross aircraft operated by LADE, Argentina's military airline.
In 1973, the United Kingdom signed a Communications Agreement with Argentina to fund an airstrip on the islands. Flights took place again from Comodoro Rivadavia, this time with Fokker F-28 twin jet aircraft. This service was maintained until 1982 representing the only connection to the islands. At first, these flights landed at a temporary airstrip at Hookers Point at the east end of Port Stanley where the runway was constructed of Pierced Runway Planking. This situation continued until 1978, when a storm tore up large areas of the runway, rendering it unusable. By this time however a permanent solution was in hand and on 1 May 1979 a new airport was opened at Cape Pembroke by Sir Vivian Fuchs with a 4000-foot paved runway. It immediately became home to FIGAS with its Islanders and Beavers.
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