Dominica’s Douglas-Charles Airport Re-opens

ROSEAU, Dominica, Mar 16, (CMC) – The Douglas-Charles Airport re-opened, today, after heavy rains caused the Melville Hall River to flood the ground floor of the terminal building, the Ministry of Public Works and Ports said.

A section of the flooded airport.

It added, based on an assessment done by airport personnel, the runway and aircraft parking areas were not affected, but the airfield was temporarily closed, yesterday, as a result of the flooding.

Following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika in August 2015, the Dominica government signed an EC$31.27 million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) contract with SOTRADOM SAS to undertake rehabilitation works of the facility.

The work includes the resurfacing of the apron; resurfacing of the taxi-ways, as well as restoration of the runway shoulders and drainage along the runway.

The Ministry of Public Works and Ports said, that the work is ongoing and is expected to be completed by June 2016.

“In addition to further improving the safety of the Douglas-Charles Airport, dredging of the Melville Hall River will commence as soon as the level of the river recedes,” the ministry said, apologizing for any inconvenience caused as a result of the closure of the airport.