L.F. Wade International Airport

L.F. Wade International Airport
IATA: BDA ICAO: TXKF
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Government of Bermuda
Operator	Bermuda Skyport Corporation Limited
Serves	Bermuda
Location	St. David's Island
Hub for	BermudAir
Elevation AMSL	18 ft / 5 m
Coordinates	32°21′51″N 064°40′43″W
Website	bermudaairport.com
Map
BDA Location of airport in Bermuda
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 12/30 9,705 2,958 Asphalt
Source: Bermuda AIP[1]

L.F. Wade International Airport (IATA: BDA, ICAO: TXKF), formerly named Bermuda International Airport, is the sole airport serving the British overseas territory of Bermuda in the north Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the parish of St. George's and is 6 nautical miles (11 kilometres; 6.9 miles) northeast of Bermuda's capital, Hamilton.^[1] In 2016, the airport handled 402,925 passengers, up 5.6% from 2006.^[2] It has one passenger terminal, one cargo terminal, eight aircraft stands and can support all aircraft sizes up to and including the Airbus A380.^[3] Currently, nine passenger or cargo airlines operate seasonal or year-round scheduled services from the Azores, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The airport covers 536 acres (217 ha) of land and contains one runway.^[4]

History

The airfield was constructed during World War II for use as Kindley Field, a joint US Army Air Forces (USAAF)/Royal Air Force (RAF) base. The RAF forces in Bermuda were withdrawn at the end of the War. The local RAF Commander, however, stayed on, on loan to the Bermuda Government. He converted the RAF facilities into the Civil Air Terminal, operated by the local government. When the pre-war airport, a flying boat facility on Darrell's Island, closed in 1948, Bermuda's air routes were taken over by land planes operating through the airfield.

By then it was operated by the United States Air Force, as Kindley Air Force Base. In 1970, the field was transferred to the United States Navy, which operated it as US Naval Air Station, Bermuda until 1995. The US Navy terminated its 99-year lease and transferred the field to the Bermuda Government. It now operates the airport as part of the Ministry of Tourism & Transport.

The US Navy was not required to meet international civil air standards, despite the operation of civil airlines to the base. The Bermuda Government, however, was required to meet these standards very quickly on assuming control, and at some expense. This involved changes to the airfield lighting, erecting new fences, levelling anything over a certain height and within a certain distance of the runway (including the former base commander's residence, and the hill it stood on), and other changes.

The airport is at the west of St. David's Island, and to the south of Ferry Reach. This places it in the East End of the archipelago, several miles from the capital, Hamilton.

The airfield was built between 1941 and 1943 by levelling Long Bird Island and several smaller islands and filling in the waterways with reclaimed land between them and St. David's Island. This created a landmass contiguous with St. David's. The airfield is typically described as being in, or on, St. David's. The field originally had three runways, but only the longest is still in use.^[5] One of the others, most of which is on a narrow peninsula jutting into Castle Harbour, has been blocked by munitions bunkers that were built at the harbour end.

Additional bunkers are on the west side of the peninsula, which the US Navy had referred to as the Weapons Pier. Airport workers, today, refer to it as The Finger. The other former runway is today a taxiway to connect aprons one and two to the active runway, and the taxiway which parallels it. This was last used as a runway in 1978. It has its own former taxiway paralleling it, which now serves as a dispersal area for visiting aircraft.

On 16 April 2007 the airport was renamed as "L.F. Wade International Airport" in honour of L. Frederick Wade, a former leader of the incumbent governing party (the Progressive Labour Party) when it was in opposition.^[6] The name was criticised by the opposition United Bermuda Party for being politically biased.^[7]

On 16 March 2017, the Government of Bermuda signed an agreement with the Canadian Commercial Corporation, granting Skyport a 30-year concession to manage and operate the airport.

In December 2020, a new terminal was completed, replacing the previous one.^[8]

Current operations

In 2017, the airport handled almost five hundred thousand passengers. Airline flight arrivals and departures usually peak June – August summer season. It has received high marks in passenger satisfaction surveys, placing first among North American airports in the "Under 15 million passengers" category in 2003 and fourth worldwide in its size category, according to the global airport monitor report that year.^[9] Cited were courtesy of staff, security, and check-in facilities.

The former NATO hangar built in the early 1990s is now used for the airport's growing corporate jet traffic. Because of Bermuda's considerable distance from the nearest land mass, the airport's use by General Aviation aircraft is limited to jets and long-range turboprops. Only jet fuel is available.

The airport offers US Customs and Immigration preclearance, which means US-bound passengers clear Customs in Bermuda; flights arriving in the US from Bermuda are thus treated as domestic flights.

Air traffic control service is provided by CI2 Aviation under contract to Bermuda Skyport Corporation. The control tower is located on the north side of the airport (not to be confused with the old tower located at the terminal building) and provides service for most of the day and night. Approach, departure and en route traffic control in the surrounding Oceanic Sector is provided by New York Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZNY), under an agreement between the US Government's Federal Aviation Administration and the United Kingdom. The BDA tower controller and ZNY center controller are always in close contact. Remote radio transmitters and air traffic radar coverage at the airport also link Bermuda and New York Center.

A modern Doppler Weather radar with a 150-mile (240 km) range was built by the DAO in 2005. Navaids at the airport, such as the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and VOR (VHF omnidirectional range), are owned by Skyport but maintained by CI2 Aviation.

The airport was a United States government NASA Space Shuttle launch abort site.^[10] It was only able to be used during low and mid inclination launches.

The airport is also active in affairs of the Airports Council International (ACI), hosting the industry organisation's Legal Affairs Committee annual meeting in 2005.^[11] In 2006, ACI selected the airport to host its World Assembly, which was held in Bermuda in November 2010, attended by hundreds of delegates representing airports worldwide.^[12] The airport's current general manager is Aaron Adderley.^[13]

A small portion of the south-east corner of the airport was transformed in the 1990s into Bermuda Motorsports Park.

Since March 2017, Bermuda Skyport Corporation Limited has managed and operated L.F. Wade International. The 30-year airport concession includes construction of a new passenger terminal, which was completed in 2020.^[8]

Airport agencies

• Bermuda Skyport Corporation Limited,^[14] the airport concessions company
• Bermuda Airport Authority
• The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA),^[15] responsible for aircraft registration, safety regulation, and accident investigation
• Bermuda Immigration
• HM Revenue and Customs
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, pre-clears passengers on most flights to the US
• Airport Rescue Firefighting (ARFF), operated by Bermuda Fire Service from 2007
• Bermuda Fire Service, wast-end station sits astride perimeter, and provides support to ARFF
• Airport Security Police, enforces airside regulations and security under contract to the DAO
• Bermuda Police Service, enforces landside parking and traffic regulations, and holds arrested persons
• Bermuda Weather Service,^[16] operated by Serco under contract to the DAO

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Air Canada Rouge	Toronto–Pearson
American Airlines	Charlotte, Miami,[17] New York–JFK Seasonal: Philadelphia,^[citation needed] Washington–National[18]
Azores Airlines	Seasonal: Ponta Delgada[19]
BermudAir	Baltimore,[20] Boston, Charleston (SC) (begins April 19, 2025),[21] Fort Lauderdale,[22] Halifax,[23] Hartford (begins April 3, 2025),[24] Orlando,[20] Raleigh/Durham (begins April 11, 2025),[25] Toronto–Pearson,[23] White Plains
British Airways	London–Heathrow[26][27]
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, New York–JFK
JetBlue	Boston Seasonal: New York–JFK^[citation needed]
United Airlines	Newark[28]

Canadian and European destinations map
Bermuda London–Heathrow Halifax Toronto–Pearson Ponta Delgada class=notpageimage| Canadian and European destinations from L.F. Wade International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination

United States destinations map
Atlanta Miami New York–JFK Newark Philadelphia Boston Charlotte White Plains Fort Lauderdale Washington–National Orlando Baltimore Hartford Raleigh/Durham Charleston class=notpageimage| United States destinations from L.F. Wade International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Cargojet	Newark

Accidents and incidents

• On 6 December 1952, a Cubana de Aviación DC-4 crashed after taking off from the airport, killing 37 passengers out of 41 passengers and crew.^[29]
• On 27 October 1962, a U.S. Air Force Boeing RB-47 Stratojet crashed on takeoff, killing all four crew members on board.^[30]
• On 29 June 1964, a USAF Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter collided with a USAF Douglas C-54 Skymaster 4.1 miles S of Bermuda during a photography mission to support the Gemini program for NASA. All 10 occupants on the KC-97 perished as well as all seven occupants on the C-54 Skymaster.^[31]

See also

• Royal Air Force, Bermuda (1939–45)
• Hurricane Fabian
• Hurricane Igor
• Transport in Bermuda
• The Causeway, Bermuda
• Hurricane Gonzalo

References

1. "Skyport – Bermuda L. F. Wade International Airport" (PDF). Skyport – Bermuda L. F. Wade International Airport. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
2. "Visitor Statistics". Go To Bermuda. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
3. "Airport Information". L.F. Wade International Airport. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
4. "Stats and Facts about L.F. Wade Int'l Airport". bermuda-online.org. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
5. "Airport map". www.flickr.com. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
6. Glenn Jones (17 April 2007). "Airport formally renamed". The Royal Gazette. Archived from the original on 11 November 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
7. Amanda Dale (16 April 2007). "Govt. accused of bias over naming public places after national heroes". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
8. Events, UKi Media & (15 December 2020). "LF Wade International opens state-of-the-art passenger terminal building". Passenger Terminal Today. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
9. Hill, René (1 July 2003). "Bermuda's airport gets high rating – again". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 22 May 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
10. "Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
11. "Island to host prestigious aviation conference". The Royal Gazette. 31 May 2004. Retrieved 22 May 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
12. Neil, Scott (17 November 2006). "Dr. Brown: Tourism critics are way off the mark". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 22 May 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
13. "Airport Operations". Government of Bermuda. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
14. "Skyport – Bermuda L. F. Wade International Airport".
15. "Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority | Offshore Aircraft Registry". bcaa.bm.
16. "Bermuda Weather Service". www.weather.bm.
17. "AA to restart daily Miami flights". 19 October 2023.
18. "AA to restart direct flights to Washington". 13 October 2023.
19. McWhirter, Fiona (9 January 2021). "Details on flights to and from the Azores". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
20. "BermudAir adding Baltimore and Orlando flights". 23 January 2024.
21. "First-ever non-stop flight to launch from Charleston to island destination". 14 November 2024.
22. "A new all-business class airline is launching flights between the US and Bermuda — see what it'll be like aboard". Business Insider. 24 August 2023.
23. "BermudAir to Launch Flights to Canada". Bernews. 28 March 2024.
24. "BermudAir to offer nonstop service from Bradley Airport". 14 November 2024.
25. "BermudAir to launch nonstop flights between Bermuda and RDU in Spring 2025". 14 November 2024.
26. "British Airways resumes London Heathrow – Bermuda service from late-March 2021".
27. "British Airways - Information Page". www.britishairways.com.
28. "United Extends Bermuda To Year-Round Service in NW24". AeroRoutes. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
29. Harro Ranter (6 December 1952). "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-4 CU-T397 Bermuda-Kindley Field (BDA)".
30. "Boeing B-47 Stratojet: All Losses & Ejections" (PDF).
31. Accident description for 52-2773 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on October 19, 2023.

External links

• Bermuda International Airport, official site
• Royal Gazette preview of new Airline Terminal (December, 2020, video)
• Bermuda Online: American military bases in Bermuda 1941 to 1995. Archived 9 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• Bermuda International Airport weather radar – real-time display