J. F. Mitchell Airport
J. F. Mitchell Airport (IATA: BQU, ICAO: TVSB), also known as Bequia Airport, is the airport serving Bequia island, Grenadines Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, including Grenadines Parish's capital Port Elizabeth. It is named after Sir James Fitz-Allen Mitchell, KCMG, PC, MP, former Premier (1972-1974) and Prime Minister (1984-2000) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In 1990, a land reclamation project was undertaken in Paget Farm for the construction of the island's J.F. Mitchell Airport.
J. F. Mitchell Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | ||||||||||
| Serves | Bequia | ||||||||||
| Location | Paget Farm | ||||||||||
| Opened | May 15, 1992 | ||||||||||
| Hub for | SVG Air | ||||||||||
| Time zone | AST (UTC−04:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 15 ft / 5 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 12°59′18″N 061°15′43″W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
BQU Location in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Source: DAFIF | |||||||||||
The airport is basically a turbo-prop center for chartered flights. Nevertheless, small private jet aircraft also fly to this airport. Most commercial flights into J. F. Mitchell Airport are domestic, but there are about ten international flights each week from Barbados and Saint Lucia; while these international flights are done by national airlines, the international routes have nevertheless awakened the interest of some foreign airlines that might open flights into this airport in the future. Like most Caribbean airports, there are no jet bridges, with all passengers exiting and entering the plane via airstairs.
J. F. Mitchell Airport is the third largest airport by land area in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after Argyle International Airport and Canouan Airport. It is one of five airports in the multi-island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the others being Argyle International Airport in St. Vincent, Canouan Airport, Mustique Airport and Union Island Airport.
SVG Air is a national airline of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, along with Mustique Airways. SVG Air and Mustique Airways have combined to form the Grenadine Alliance, operating 17 aircraft, with bases in St. Vincent, Antigua and Grenada, offering visitors and residents a wider choice of international gateways in and out of the country.