Falkland Islands: Refurbishing starts on Mount Pleasant runway

Tuesday, February 21st 2023 - 09:50 UTC

Full article 47 comments

Works are performed at nighttime so as not to interfere with the base's daily operations, either military or civilian (Pic ROADGRIP)

A contractor has started working on a £7m project to extend the lifespan of the runway at the Mount Pleasant Complex (MPC) airfield in the Falkland Islands until it can be fully re-laid in the coming years, the British Government reported Monday.

The project, which is expected to take about three months, includes repainting runway markings in reflective paint, replacing airfield signage and adding lights, and coating the runway asphalt with a layer of bitumen to extend the life of the runway.

The £6.96m project was awarded to Mitie in June 2022 and will be undertaken by sub-contractor Gatwick Construction.

The project team will work at night to avoid disruption. The team will liaise closely with MPC staff on a daily basis. Work has been carefully planned to ensure there is no impact on airfield operations and flights can continue as scheduled. This is particularly important given that Mount Pleasant Complex is used for the airbridge flights to and from the UK, for LATAM Airlines flights connecting the Falkland Islands to South America (Punta Arenas in Chile), as well as by the Falkland Island Government Air Service (FIGAS) which connects MPC with the outlying islands of the Falklands.

DIO Project Manager Robert Handford said: “It’s exciting to begin this important work at Mount Pleasant Complex. Infrastructure projects in the Falkland Islands are complicated by the need to transport the necessary equipment by air or container ship, adding complexity to the preparations and requiring meticulous planning. It’s a testament to great teamwork between DIO, Mitie, Gatwick Construction, and MPC personnel that everything is going according to plan.”

Brian Talbot, Managing Director, Central Government & Defence, Mitie, said: “As proud supporters of the British Armed Forces, we are delighted to build on our long-standing relationship with DIO through the refurbishment of the Falkland Islands runway at the Mount Pleasant Complex. As a critical piece of infrastructure on the estate, our work on this project will help protect and extend the lifespan of the runway for years to come.”

Categories: Investments, Politics, Tourism, Falkland Islands.

Tags: British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI), Mount Pleasant runway.

Top Comments

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Mike Summers
Presumably this is illegal, and an outrage against the legitimate rights of Argentina....etc, etc. Where have all the lunatics gone ?
Feb 21st, 2023 - 11:20 am +6
Juan Cervantes
AC, straight out of Donald Trumps handbook, repeat a lie enough times and people start believing it, that is exactly what you and your extreme nut job government has done for years starting off with the indoctrination of your children at school., a certain Mr Hitler did the same in the 1930s , Argentina has never owned the Falklands, its a myth and lie, there was no eviction of anyone other than your 24 murdering soldiers who tried to take the islands by force, but you already know this , but it doesnt suite your narrative, there is no legal document anywhere that says the islands are yours, pure fantasy, and on top of that you lost a war, their is no pandoras box, just a few thousand fantasists that cant accept reality, your own government said they will never try to take the islands by force, are they lying, the islanders will never have to fear Argentina ever again, there will be no Geopolitical change, no window of opportunity and no collapse in the defence of the islands, any attempt will be obliterated, so cut the bull take your case to the ICJ and get laughed out of court, put your money where your mouth ang go to court,
Feb 21st, 2023 - 09:42 pm +6
Roger Lorton
ArgieZit

The UK offered to take the Falklandes to the ICJ in both 1968 and 1982. Argentina refused to go. As for refusing to accept ICJ jurisdiction, the same option that Mauritius used is available to Argentine. That is, that Argentina can lobby the UN for a question to be put to the ICJ. Such a question could ask the ICJ for its advisory opinion on, say, sovereignty. Or the applicability of self-determination. Or the definition of 'peoples'.

Argentina's failure to take such an option suggest that your government already knows the likely outcome.
Feb 22nd, 2023 - 08:55 am +6

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