Saint Helena Airport has confirmed Category 6 accreditation for firefighting capabilities has been restored on 15 February 2026 following extensive repairs and commissioning tests. The achievement resulted from dedicated work by airport mechanics supported by specialist engineers from Marcé with full tests on tender R1 accepted by the independent regulator ASSI. Repairs to tender R2 continue without impacting accreditation while longer-term replacement options are explored with FCDO support for improved resilience.
The first Airlink flight is scheduled for Tuesday 17 February 2026 subject to favourable weather conditions. Tickets will not be sold for the 17 February or 21 February flights with pre-booked passengers permitted to travel as normal and remaining seats allocated for repatriation based on delay length. Bookings reopen for 24 February and beyond in due course.
Solomons will contact affected passengers directly for updates rather than requiring contact with Airlink or the airport.
Saint Helena government shared in a written statement SHG is pleased to announce that today, 15 February, Saint Helena Airport has regained Category 6 accreditation for its firefighting capabilities and full operations can resume. This is down to the incredible hard work and long hours put in by the mechanics at the airport, supported by specialist engineers from Marcé. Full commissioning tests have been undertaken with tender R1, which will be supported by R3 and Saint Helena Fire and Rescue Service. The results have been accepted by the independent regulator, ASSI. Repairs to R2 will continue, but do not affect accreditation. We continue to look at longer term replacement options, with the support of FCDO, to ensure better resilience. The first Airlink flight will be on Tuesday, 17 February, subject to favourable weather. Tickets will NOT be sold for this flight, or for Saturday, 21 February. Those with pre-booked tickets specifically for these flights should travel as normal. The remaining seats will be used for repatriation and allocated based on length of delay. Please do not contact Airlink or the Airport, Solomons will contact you with an update. Bookings will reopen for Tuesday, 24 February and beyond in due course. We would like to thank everyone for their patience, support and resilience through this challenging period.
