Canefield Airport | |||||||||||
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 View of the Canefield Airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Dominica | ||||||||||
| Operator | Dominica Air & Sea Ports Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Roseau, Dominica | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 13 ft / 4 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 15°20′12″N 61°23′32″W / 15.33667°N 61.39222°W | ||||||||||
| Website | discoverdominica | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  DCF Location in Dominica | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics | |||||||||||
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Canefield Airport (IATA: DCF, ICAO: TDCF) is an airport on the west coast of the Caribbean island nation of Dominica. It is 3 miles (5 km) north of Roseau, the capital. It is one of only two airports in the island nation of Dominica, the other being Douglas–Charles Airport.
History
[edit]Plans for an airport at Canefield were first discussed in the mid-1970s.[4] Construction began in early 1979 with British funding, shortly after Dominica's independence.[5] The airport was officially opened in 1981, and was preferred over Melville Hall (a two-hour drive from the national capital of Roseau at the time). Crosswinds, "occasional landing difficulties", and the facility's small size plagued its operation from the onset despite being closer to Roseau.[4]
Runways and taxiways
[edit]It has one runway 01/19, which measures 3,130 by 75 feet (954 by 23 meters). Runway 01 has a 500-foot displaced threshold. There is mountainous terrain to the east, and rising terrain north and south, with the Caribbean sea to the west. Commercial operators require proficiency checks for their crews to be able to operate at the airport.
| Number | Length | Width | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/19 | 3,130 feet (954 m) | 75 feet (23 m) | Operations between Sunrise and Sunset |
Traffic
[edit]Most of these flights operate with turboprop and piston aircraft such as the DHC-6 Twin Otter, Beechcraft King Air, Freighters, and private aircraft.
Though not common, the airport has handled light business jets such as the Cessna Citation Mustang, and the Cessna Citation II on occasions. One of the largest aircraft to ever land at the airport was a Samaritan's Purse operated Basler BT-67.
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Passenger
[edit]The following airlines operate passenger and chartered flights to the Canefield Airport:
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Airawak | Castries, Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre | [6] |
| Anguilla Air Services | Seasonal: Anguilla, Antigua, Saint Barthélemy, St. Kitts, St. Maarten | [7] |
| CalvinAir Helicopters | Charter: Antigua | [8] |
| Executive Air | Seasonal: Antigua, Barbados, Castries, Grenada, St. Kitts | [9] |
| Express Air Transport | Barbados, Bequia, St. Croix, St. Maarten, St. Vincent–Argyle | [10] |
| Fly BVI Ltd | Charter: Beef Island | [11] |
| Fly Montserrat | Seasonal: Antigua, Montserrat | [12] |
| Island Birds | Seasonal: Antigua, San Juan | [13] |
| St Barth Commuter | Charter: Saint Barthélemy, Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Saint Martin | [14] |
| St Barth Executive | Charter: Pointe-à-Pitre, Port of Spain, Saint Barthélemy | [15] |
| SVG Air | Antigua,[16][17] Castries,[16] St. Vincent–Argyle[16] | [18] |
| SXM Airways | Charter: St. Maarten | [19] |
| Trans Anguilla Airways | Charter: Anguilla | [20] |
- Friday, October 25, 2024, a Press Release statement by SVG Air was issued announcing a new, non-stop flight from the Canefield Airport in Dominica to Antigua, St. Lucia - Castries, and St. Vincent–Argyle in St. Vincent (with a one-stop in St. Lucia) that begins November 24, 2024.[17] This is the first time in years that the airport has had a scheduled airline. Flights will be operated with the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.[21]
- Coming soon, are new flights that will connect Dominica Canefield Airport to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe. These flights will be operated by [Air Inter Iles] by [St. Barth Executive] using Tecnam P2012 Traveller STOL aircraft.[22]
Cargo
[edit]| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Air | Antigua, Barbados, Castries, Grenada, St. Kitts | [9] |
| Express Air Transport | Barbados, Bequia, Saint Croix, St. Maarten, St. Vincent–Argyle | [10] |
| Caribbean and Central American destinations map |
|---|
Caribbean and Central American destinations from Douglas Charles Airport.
• Red represents year-round destinations. |
Temperature Record
[edit]On 3 October 2015, the weather station at Canefield Airport recorded a temperature of 35.5 °C (95.9 °F). This is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Dominica.[23]
Accidents and incidents
[edit]
- On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, a Rockwell Shrike Commander aircraft right main gear blew and the aircraft veered off the runway to the right. There were no injuries and this mishap is still unexplained.[24]
- On Thursday, February 16, 2012, a Cessna 402 made an emergency landing. It landed without further incident.[25]
- On Thursday, February 27, 2014, a Cessna 404 aircraft ran off the runway, suffered damage to the left wing.[26]
- On Sunday, February 8, 2015, a private Cessna 404 aircraft coming from Venezuela ran off the runway, suffered extensive damage.[27]
- On Wednesday, February 7, 2018, a Rockwell Shrike Commander aircraft upon landing suffered nose gear failure.[28]
- On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, a light aircraft Flight Design CT (CTSW) [N7670], was involved in an accident that resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. While on departure, the aircraft encountered severe wind gusts; flipping the aircraft. There were reports of minor injuries to the occupants onboard.[29]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Airport information for Canefield Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ "Canfield Airport". SkyVector. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "Canefield Airport". Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ a b Honychurch, Lennox (1995). "Development and Welfare: Sea and Air Ports". The Dominica Story: A History of the Island (3rd ed.). London/Basingstoke: Macmillan Caribbean. ISBN 0-333-62776-8.
- ^ "New Dominica airport". The Hour. Norwalk, Connecticut. United Press International (UPI). January 3, 1979. p. 18. Retrieved December 2, 2010 – via Google Newspapers.
- ^ "Destinations". Airawak. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". Anguilla Air Services. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". CalvinAir Helicopters. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
- ^ a b "Destinations". Executive Air. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
- ^ a b "Destinations". Express Air Transport. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Destinations". Fly BVI Ltd. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". Fly Montserrat. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". Island Birds. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". St Barths Commuter. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". St Barth Executive. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ a b c "SVG Air Launches New Routes to St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua". St.VincentTimes. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ a b "SVG Air introduces new route linking four OECS nations". SearchLight. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ "Where Does SVG Air Fly?".
- ^ "Destinations". SXM Airways. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "Destinations". Trans Anguilla Airways. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "SVG Air launches new inter-island flight routes". CaribbeanLoopNews. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Air Inter Iles by St Barth Executive". St.VincentTimes. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ Masters, Jeff (27 January 2016). "Sixteen National/Territorial All-Time Extreme Heat Records Set in 2015". Wunderground. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "Plane accident at Canefield Airport". 27 February 2011.
- ^ "UPDATE: Plane mishap at Canefield Airport - Dominica News Online". Dominica News Online. 16 February 2012.
- ^ "UPDATE: Coastal Airways runs off runway at Canefield | Dominica Vibes News". February 27, 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ "UPDATE: Plane mishap at Canefield". 8 February 2015.
- ^ "UPDATE: ECCAA to investigate Canefield Airport plane accident". 7 February 2018.
- ^ https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/aviation/small-aircraft-crashes-at-canefield-airport/ [bare URL]
