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19-609: Prior to the opening of the road to Fort Bay, the primary way to get goods and people on or off the island was via Ladder Bay (and its 800 perilous steps hand-cut out of the cliffside). Fort Bay's first pier was constructed in November 1972. Since then, Fort Bay harbor has grown to multiple piers: During 2010–2011, various improvements were made to the Fort Bay harbor, including the quay wall , boat ramp, and retaining wall. In 2023, upgrades were done to Capt. Leo Chance Pier and

38-544: A branch to Fort Bay after The Bottom, in the direction of Well's Bay. The Road connects the island with the airport at Flat Point as well. This Saba location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This road-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport ( IATA : SAB , ICAO : TNCS )

57-409: A couple of weeks. De Haenen made the first landing of an aircraft on the island of Saba on February 9, 1959, with nearly the entire population of the island in attendance. After that first landing, De Haenen was prohibited from making further landings on the island and there were no flights to or from Saba for several years. In the lead up to the 1962 parliamentary elections, the lack of an airport on

76-569: Is an airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba , Netherlands . Its runway is widely acknowledged as the shortest commercial runway in the world, with a length of 400 m (1,312 ft). The airport, named after the Aruban Minister Juancho Yrausquin, has the shortest commercial runway in the world, only 400 metres (1,312 ft) long, flanked on one side by high hills, with cliffs that drop into

95-482: Is credited to Remy de Haenen, who brought the idea to the Saba Economic Council along with a contractor named Jacques Deldevert. De Haenen had previously made several landings of a Vought-Sikorsky OS2U seaplane off Fort Bay harbor as early as 1946. After surveying the island by air, de Haenen suggested then-privately owned Flat Point as the site for the airport. The land was cleared and graded in only

114-469: The Dawn II (based on Saba) with almost daily trips. 17°36′59″N 63°15′05″W  /  17.6164°N 63.2514°W  / 17.6164; -63.2514 The Road (Saba)#History The Road is the unofficial name for the cement road that connects the villages of Saba , Netherlands , a Caribbean island. It is nicknamed as "The Road That Couldn't Be Built." It is the primary road on

133-585: The Windward Islands . Irausquin told friends that during a harrowing voyage to Saba by sloop in 1960 he promised to look for funds to build an airport on the island if his life was spared. The company contracted to build the airport was owned by Wathey's brother Chester as well as Jacques Deldevert. On March 22, 1962, while the airport was under construction, three helicopters from the Dutch aircraft carrier HNLMS  Karel Doorman landed there, marking

152-516: The roll-on/roll-off pier. The port is also home to the Saba Sea Rescue Organization that have a rescue ship stationed just outside the mouth to the port. The ship is equipped with decompression tanks, rescue equipment and personnel. On land at Fort Bay, there is a hyperbaric chamber for diving emergency situations. The port has two bars and one restaurant which are frequently visited by locals and tourists. Additionally

171-478: The airline continuing to serve Saba with the Twin Otter at the present time. In 1998, Hurricane Georges destroyed the airport's terminal building. The Dutch government funded construction of a new building and it was dedicated on December 6, 2002, to De Haenen. The propeller from De Haenen's first landing on the island is on display in the building. Jet aircraft are unable to land at the airport, because

190-598: The airport in Flat Point. Since then, branches have been added to the road, including branches to Well's Bay , to the Mount Scenery hiking trail, to the Sulphur Mine trail, and to Cove Bay . The road now covers about 8.7 miles (14 km). There are no official documents about the exact route of The Road. After matching several sources, The Road is believed to go from Well's Bay Beach to Cove Bay Beach with

209-514: The idea of creating a road. Phase 1: In 1938, cementing of the road's first section began: from Fort Bay and The Bottom . Until then, this path had been a stone path was made of 200 uneven stone steps. Construction was carried out by local Sabans under the leadership of Erroll Hassell. In 1943, this first section of the road was completed and inaugurated. It was 0.7 miles (1.15 m) long and 13 ft (4 m) wide, and covered an elevation change, or slope, of 653 ft (5 m). Phase 2: By 1951,

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228-610: The island became a big issue. Sint Maarten politician Claude Wathey , who also represented Saba in the Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles , and Aruban politician Juancho Irausquin, who was at the time Minister of Finance for the Netherlands Antilles, supported the construction of an airport. The Dutch government made 600,000 guilders available to build it as part of a larger three-year plan for

247-566: The island's only gas station is situated located just past Fort Bay. Fort Bay has been affected by several hurricanes over the years, including breakwaters damage in Hurricane Lenny in 1999, one of the piers being destroyed by Hurricane Omar in 2008, and the fisherman's pier being damaged by Hurricane Irma and later destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Fort Bay has multiple ferry services operating between Saba and Sint Maarten , including The Edge (based on Sint Maarten), and

266-418: The island, spanning 8.7 miles (14 km). It was constructed by local Sabans between 1938 and 1963, without the use of machines. For most of its history Saba had no road, only footpaths and stone steps. Experts had expressed the opinion that it was impossible to build a cement road on the island. In the 1930s, a self-educated local engineer, Josephus Lambert "Lambee" Hassell (1906-1983)., dedicated himself to

285-604: The need for a STOL aircraft and the small number of people who could afford a ticket. In 1965, the airport went unused for six months. For a while the island was serviced by a six-passenger STOL-capable Dornier Do-28 aircraft operated by Windward Islands Airways (Winair). The December 1, 1963, Winair timetable lists flights between Saba and Sint Maarten operated with the Do-28. Service picked up when Windward Islands Airways began flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters in 1965 with

304-454: The road was extended to St. John's and then to Windwardside . This involved the removal of stone steps and cementation of the paths. Phase 3: In 1958, The Road was completed. Under the direction of Lambee Hassell, the road had been extended all the way to Hell's Gate , the village futhest from Fort Bay. In 1963, the road was extended to Saba's new airport at Flat Point . In 1963, The Road covered 6.5 miles (10 km) from Fort Bay to

323-497: The runway is too short, but smaller STOL airplanes (such as the DHC-6, BN-2, and helicopters) are common sights. A small ramp and terminal are on the southwest flank of the runway. The ramp also has a designated helipad. The terminal building houses offices for Winair, immigration and security, a fire department with one fire truck, and a tower. The tower is an advisory service only and does not provide air traffic control. Aviation fuel

342-475: The sea at both ends. The airport is closed to jet traffic, but regional airline propeller aircraft are able to land there under waivers from the Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority. The most common aircraft to land there are the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander , due to their STOL (short takeoff and landing) capabilities. The idea of building an airport on Saba

361-518: The second time aircraft landed on the island. Then on February 1, 1963, a twin engine PA-23 Apache piloted by George Greaux landed on the newly asphalted runway. The airport officially began service on July 24, 1963. Irausquin had died the year before and his widow cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony on September 18. Greaux and several other investors formed Windward Islands Airways ( Winair ) in 1961, which offered service to Saba. Regular air service to Saba did not begin immediately due to

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