Marsh Harbour Airport

Leonard M. Thompson International Airport
IATA: MHH ICAO: MYAM
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Government of The Bahamas
Operator	Vantage Airport Group[1]
Serves	Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, Bahamas
Elevation AMSL	6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates	26°30′41″N 077°05′01″W
Map
MYAM Location in The Bahamas
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 09/27 6,100 1,859 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[2][3]

Leonard M. Thompson International Airport, formerly known as The Marsh Harbour International Airport[4] (IATA: MHH, ICAO: MYAM), is an airport serving Marsh Harbour, a town in the Abaco Islands, The Bahamas.[2] Marsh Harbour is a major tourist attraction. The airport offers scheduled passenger flights to Nassau and several destinations in Florida as well as regional jet flights nonstop to three major U.S. hubs, Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami in the U.S. In 2007 a new runway was built to allow larger, regional jets to operate from Marsh Harbour. A new airport terminal opened on 27 May 2014.

Facilities

The airport has an elevation of 6 ft (1.8 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway, designated 09/27, that has an asphalt surface measuring 1,859 m × 30 m (6,100 ft × 100 ft).[2] In 2006, the old runway was converted into a taxiway after the new 6,100-foot-long (1,859 m) runway opened.

The new airport terminal opened on 27 May 2014 after three years of construction. The building incorporates architectural elements that reflect culture of The Bahamas. The new 46,000-square-foot (4,300 m^2) terminal has 22 counter positions, a new luggage scanning system, pilot briefing room, two restaurants, one lounge, shops, and a public parking area.[5][6][7]

Marsh Harbour International Airport was renamed the Leonard M. Thompson International Airport on 25 May 2016. Thompson was a prominent son of Hope Town who flew bombers for the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.[8]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
American Eagle	Miami Seasonal: Charlotte
Bahamasair	Nassau, West Palm Beach
Delta Connection	Atlanta
Flamingo Air	Freeport
Silver Airways	Fort Lauderdale, Orlando Seasonal: Tampa
WesternAir	Nassau

Accidents and incidents

Main articles: 2001 Marsh Harbour Cessna 402 crash and Hurricane Dorian

Marsh Harbour Airport after Hurricane Dorian, September 2019

• On 25 August 2001, American singer/actress Aaliyah and eight crew members of a group that had participated in the filming of her "Rock the Boat" music video, were killed soon after their Cessna 402 aircraft took off from Marsh Harbour Airport. The subsequent investigation determined that the aircraft had attempted to take off while heavily overloaded and with the weight improperly distributed. The pilot was not qualified on this type of aircraft, falsified experience records, and had signs of drug and alcohol use.[9]
• On 13 June 2013, SkyBahamas Airlines C6-SBJ, a Saab 340B aircraft suffered substantial damage when it departed off the side of the runway while landing in heavy rain. There were no serious injuries or deaths among the 24 passengers and crew. The aircraft was subsequently written off.[10]
• The airport was closed on 1 September 2019 as Hurricane Dorian approached the island. Marsh Harbour Airport was among the locations severely damaged by the storm and the runway was underwater for several days. The storm caused an estimated US$9.8 million in damages and there was an additional US$10.5 million in economic impact due to canceled flights.[7] The airport reopened about three months later.[11]

References

1. "Leonard M. Thompson International Airport, The Bahamas". Vantage Airport Group. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
2. "Airport information for MYAM". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
3. Airport information for MHH at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
4. 2017/2018 Budget Contribution by the Hon. Brent Symonette Member of Parliament for the St. Anne's Constituency and Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration, Bahamas Trade Info, 21 June 2017, retrieved 19 March 2019
5. Turnquest, Ava (27 May 2014). "At last - Abaco airport finally operational". The Tribune. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
6. "International Terminal Open in Marsh Harbour Airport". Eleuthera News. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
7. Assessment of the Effects and Impacts of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas (PDF) (Report). Inter-American Development Bank. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
8. "The Government of the Bahamas – Government – News".
9. "Accident Cessna 402B N8097W". Aviation Safety Network. 4 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
10. "Accident Saab 340B C6-SBJ". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
11. Dolven, Taylor (17 December 2019). "Flights to Freeport and Marsh Harbour in Bahamas back after Hurricane Dorian". Miami Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2024.

External links

• Airport information for MYAM at AirNav
• Accident history for MHH at Aviation Safety Network