page_title: Canouan Airport
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Canouan Airport / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Plane Landing at Canouan
context_page_description: Canouan Airport is the airport located on the island of Canouan in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The airport serves the surrounding tourist areas and environs of the Grenadines and is a major destination during the Caribbean winter leisure season. Aside from facilitating regular passenger flights, the airport is also open for international corporate jet operations and charter flights. Canouan Airport was the main business aviation airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before the opening of Argyle International Airport. The terminal has a CIP lounge and other facilities for international passengers and a domestic hub for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is the second largest airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after Argyle International Airport. The airport often served as the alternate airport for E.T. Joshua Airport, now a decommissioned airport in St. Vincent and other Grenadines airports.
  Since the longest runway in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at 5,875 feet, was located at Canouan Airport, it was the airport used to receive illegal immigrants deported from the United States by the U.S.
context_section_description: The history of the Airport extends back to the early 1980s, when the runway at the airport was an unpaved, sand and gravel airstrip. The current airport opened in May 2008 and replaced the earlier Canouan airport with the same name and IATA code. Canouan airport was initially constructed some 20 years ago to a standard of an earth runway strip. In 1987/88 the airport was upgraded by construction of a bituminous surface dressing with a length of 1,800 ft (548 m) and a width of 60 ft (18 m).
  In the following years serious deterioration caused a reduction of aircraft movements from 8,000 in 1988 to 2,000 in 1991. Since the bulk of passenger transport to and from the island is channeled through the airport, the unsatisfactory conditions on the runway and in the terminal jeopardized the economic development of Canouan. In the early 90s programs have been launched to attract tourism and to improve the island's facilities. It goes without saying that the rehabilitation and upgrading of the island's airport is an investment of first priority to the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the future welfare of Canouan and the neighboring islands in the southern part of the country.
  Based on the positive development of tourism, it was recognized in 2003 that upgrading of the runways for jet operations was essential. It was determined that land had to be reclaimed and the runway extended. In a first phase KOCKS CONSULT GMBH provided services for:
  Comprehensive field investigation and laboratory testing to determine existing pavement and subsoil condition.
  Inventories of the ecological situation.
  Topographical survey
  Collection of data and information on previous and present air traffic.
  Determination of a reference aircraft.
  Determination of the essential length of runways.
  Environmental assessment study.
  Study on economic feasibility.
  An estimation of costs.
  All data and findings were compiled in the "Assessment of Principal Solutions" report.
  The new airport comprises an asphalt concrete runway of 1,790 m x 30 m with lighting and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI), a taxiway and apron as well as a terminal, fire station and service buildings.
  In 2011, Sewells Paving completed the paving of an eight and a half acre addition to the Canouan International Airport. The expansion to the airport apron was for additional airplane parking. The apron was built and paved to stand the load of a Boeing B737 jet.
  In January 2019, the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines invited tenders for consulting services. The objective of the consulting services is to prepare a climate risk and vulnerability assessment, feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed designs, cost estimates and tender documents for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the runway and other pavements at Canouan Airport, together with drainage, fencing and any other infrastructural, institutional or other improvements required to ensure the sustainable operation of Canouan Airport.
  Canouan Island has positioned itself at the epicenter of a new tourism attraction for the entire region and is now a popular private jet destination for those transferring to yachts.
caption: Plane Landing at Canouan
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