Airport

Hurricane Irma destroys one of the most famous airports in the world St Marteen

AN AIRPORT famous for its spectacular plane landings has been destroyed by strong winds as Hurricane Irma moves across the Caribbean.

Pictures have emerged of a flattened Princess Juliana International Airport after winds of up to 297km/h tore through St Martin, a divided island in the Caribbean split between French and Dutch rule.

The airport sits remarkably close to Maho beach in Dutch-controlled Sint Maarten, which has become a popular site for beachgoers to watch planes swoop perilously close to their heads while coming in for landing.

Irma caused huge rocks to smash into planes, at least one of the jet bridges to collapse and sand and debris from Maho beach to be swept onto the runway.

Pictures in the aftermath of the hurricane also showed severe damage to the airport terminal. Inside the airport, the check-in hall had flooded.

Princess Juliana International airport suspended all operations on Tuesday, local time, as Irma approached the island.

Sand was blown onto the tarmac. Picture: bondtehond/Twitter Inside the terminal. Picture: bondtehond/Twitter

“We regret any inconvenience this will cause, but must stress that the safety and security of all is priority number one at SXM Airport,” the airport’s chief operating officer Michel Hyman said.

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The nation of St Martin, which is close to Anguilla in the Caribbean, is divided between the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten and the French territory of Saint-Martin.

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At least six people have been killed in the French part of the island at the time of publication.

Another person has been killed in the popular tourist island of St Barts, France said.

“The situation in St Martin and St Barts is dramatic — there is no drinking water, electricity, public buildings are unusable, houses have been destroyed,” Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said.

In Saint Martin, the prefecture building has been destroyed, and the fire station is out of order. Several roofs have also been blown off at the police station.

Irma first hit Antigua and Barbuda which locals described as “sounding like angry people banging on the shutter and roof while a freight train roared overhead.” Nevertheless, the damage in Antigua wasn’t as devastating.

After moving through Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and St. Barts, Irma is now headed to the Virgin Islands, where Virgin’s Richard Branson is planning on hiding in his Necker Island wine cellar. After passing through Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Orma with then hit Florida over the weekend; Key West is currently being evacuated per a mandatory evacuation.

Airport

Toronto’s Abandoned Airport Set to Transform into a Futuristic City

In a bold and visionary move, an abandoned airport in Toronto, Canada, is set to undergo a dramatic transformation into a sprawling mega-city, thanks to an ambitious £12.3 billion ($22 billion CAD) redevelopment plan.

This groundbreaking project has recently been given the green light by local officials and promises to create a vibrant, thriving community over the next three decades. Spanning 370 acres of unused land, the development will see the creation of seven distinct neighborhoods, designed to accommodate up to 83,500 residents.

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What sets this project apart is its commitment to preserving the historical essence of the former airport. Developers have pledged to retain key elements of the site, including 11 aircraft hangars and half a mile of the original runway. These remnants of the past will be ingeniously repurposed, giving the new city a unique character that pays homage to the area’s rich history, particularly its role in aircraft manufacturing during World War II.

The heart of the first mixed-use district will feature the old hangars, which will serve as central hubs for community activities. These iconic structures will be surrounded by a mix of shops, restaurants, and even a library, all lining the preserved runway, now reimagined as a pedestrian walkway. This blend of the old and the new is expected to attract a diverse range of businesses and residents, creating a vibrant, interconnected community.

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The first phase of development is anticipated to generate 7,000 new jobs, providing local residents with opportunities to live and work within the same community. This district will include 2,850 housing units, primarily composed of mid-rise apartment buildings, catering to a variety of lifestyles and needs.

Northcrest Developments, the company behind this visionary project, believes that the unique nature of the development will appeal to businesses seeking distinctive and innovative workspaces that are currently unavailable in the market. According to company spokesperson Goring, “There’s an opportunity to attract companies that actually want to be here but can’t because they can’t find these types of locations.”

As the project progresses, it is expected to become a model for sustainable urban development, seamlessly blending history with modernity.