On this day in 1943, Pearls Air Field at Pearls, St Andrew, a small grass airstrip was opened, linking Grenada to the rest of the world through air transportation.
Before Pearls, travel from Grenada was by sea, and due to the high cost of air travel, this situation persisted into the 1960s. Though Point Salines was the preferred site, the Pearls estate, owned by the Degale family, was purchased for the airport. Part of the site was previously used as a golf course, and the construction of the runway revealed the remnants of the extensive Pearls Amerindian Site, which was destroyed as a result. The grass airstrip was later paved and extended to a length of 1,600 m (5,000 feet), equipped to handle small aircraft exclusively during the day.
The physical constraints associated with Pearls Air Field, later Pearls Airport—high hills to the east and exposed to dangerous cross winds—made expansion impossible, and were often cited as impediments to the growth of tourism. In 1980, the Peoples’ Revolutionary Government (PRG) began the construction of the international airport at Point Salines, and in 1984, the airport at Pearls was closed. It is presently used by the Government of Grenada as a camp for the Special Services Unit of the police force. The abandoned airstrip is utilised for motor car racing.
From A-Z of Grenada Heritage by John Angus Martin (Gully Press, Brooklyn, 2022)
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