St Helena to be reunited with the rest of the world with first commercial flight

St Helena, one of the most isolated islands in the world, will receive its first-ever commercial flight this week. It has been a long wait for locals and eager tourists, with the original flights planned to land almost half a decade ago.

After the British government agreed to spend £285m to build the airport in 2010, it was originally deemed unsafe to use immediately after completion due to the hazardous wind shear conditions created by site’s environmental and geographical landscape. The situation led many to call it the “world’s most useless airport.” However, a change in the type of plane planned to be used for the route – now a Brazilian-built Embraer jet – and the decision to use a maximum of 76 of its 99 seats, have alleviated the concerns.  - from of an article by Matt Phillips Lonely Planet Writer.

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