By Ed Cropley
JAMESTOWN, St. Helena (Reuters) - One of humanity’s most isolated outposts joined the 21st century on Saturday when the British island of St. Helena, home to "the world's most useless airport", welcomed its first commercial flight.
As the inaugural plane from Johannesburg touched down on the forbidding volcanic outcrop in the middle of the south Atlantic, the travel and history buffs on board clapped and cheered.
"I’ve never felt so emotional in all my life," said Libby Weir-Breen, a British travel operator who has been bringing tourists to the island, 1,200 miles (1,900 km) west of the African nation of Angola, for the last 12 years.
She had flown in specially from Scotland to be on the plane, and dabbed away tears as it touched down on the spectacular cliff-side runway. "I never thought I’d see this day," she said.
The 4,500 people living on St. Helena, a British colony since 1658 - most famous as the windswept outpost where French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte breathed his last - might also be forgiven for thinking the day would never come.
More at https://sg.yahoo.com/news/tears-joy-britain-st-helena-worlds-most-useless-082224077.html
JAMESTOWN, St. Helena (Reuters) - One of humanity’s most isolated outposts joined the 21st century on Saturday when the British island of St. Helena, home to "the world's most useless airport", welcomed its first commercial flight.
As the inaugural plane from Johannesburg touched down on the forbidding volcanic outcrop in the middle of the south Atlantic, the travel and history buffs on board clapped and cheered.
"I’ve never felt so emotional in all my life," said Libby Weir-Breen, a British travel operator who has been bringing tourists to the island, 1,200 miles (1,900 km) west of the African nation of Angola, for the last 12 years.
She had flown in specially from Scotland to be on the plane, and dabbed away tears as it touched down on the spectacular cliff-side runway. "I never thought I’d see this day," she said.
The 4,500 people living on St. Helena, a British colony since 1658 - most famous as the windswept outpost where French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte breathed his last - might also be forgiven for thinking the day would never come.
More at https://sg.yahoo.com/news/tears-joy-britain-st-helena-worlds-most-useless-082224077.html
