Yahoo News Hundreds stranded in mid-Atlantic after 'runway potholes' limit flights to Ascension Island
Hundreds of people have been stranded in the mid-Atlantic on Ascension Island after potholes on the runway reportedly caused the partial closure of its US air base.
Unconfirmed reports said that cracks or potholes had appeared and repairs of the runway - a crucial stop-over during the Falklands War - could take weeks, if not months.
The situation has been made worse by a propeller failure on the RMS St Helena, the ageing supply ship that travels between Cape Town and the sister islands of Ascension and St Helena, both more than a thousand miles off Africa.
The situation has left the estimated 880 people on Ascension, mostly civilian workers, no means of leaving by air or sea.
The Ministry of Defence cited "safety reasons" for cancelling flights between RAF Brize Norton and the Falklands, which carry civilians as well as military personnel.
The concerns are believed to be about landing a heavyweight A330 air tanker. A lighter aircraft is expected to fly stranded passengers out in a few days.
RAF Brize Norton’s website added that it had become “necessary to limit ... the non-essential population” on the British Overseas Territory, seen as an indication of prolonged problems. The military flights serving the Falklands, which carry some civilians, are expected to resume, via west Africa instead of Ascension, on Friday.
One would-be passenger, Sarah McCusker, posted on Facebook: “We were due to travel to Ascension but our flights have been cancelled with no hope of rebooking.
“Apparently the runway condition is now too dangerous.”
Mark McMahon, returning from work in Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey, posted: “There’s about 30 of us stuck in Falklands and can’t get home now until 21st April. I’m still on a ship heading to Stanley so we have little info.”
The RMS St Helena breakdown has already caused a three-week delay for passengers, as well as anxiety for the 4,500 people waiting on St Helena for fresh food and returning relatives.
The ship – now leaking – needs a full repair in dry dock.
The ageing vessel came out of retirement a year ago after St Helena’s UK-funded, £286 million airport was deemed unsafe for most large aircraft, because of severe winds.
St Helena’s government said it was investigating hiring a passenger ship or an aircraft capable of landing on the island. Another vessel is standing by to deliver its cargo.
