Corozal Airstrip To Close for 3 Weeks

Word coming to our office from the Belize Airport Authority is that as of Monday, May 26, 2008, the Corozal airstrip will be closed for approximately three weeks due to necessary maintenance to upgrade the dilapidated strip.

Barbara Miller, Chairlady of the Belize Airport Authority (BAA), told Ambergris Today that their committee recently traversed the entire country to make assessments on the conditions of all the major landing strips under their authority. Most were up to par with BAA’s standards and all were cleaned or will be cleaned of debris. According to Miller, the Corozal Airstrip is the one that needs dire attention, and that the extensive work needed on the strip calls for its closure for at lease three weeks.

On Sunday evening, May, 25, the airstrip will be closed with work starting immediately. This includes total resurfacing, lengthening and widening of the landing strip and clearing of the surrounding area to make for safer take off and landing of aircrafts. This work is being done now in order to avoid the upcoming rainy season.

What does this mean for the local airlines and travelers to Corozal and those en route to neighboring Chetumal, Mexico? Well, Tropic Air says that their six scheduled flights to Corozal will remain the same during this period, only that flights have been directed to an airstrip in the village of Chan Chen.

This is a private airstrip that is located about seven miles south of the regular airstrip in the Carmelita Village, Corozal. Tropic Air employees have visited the strip in Chan Chen and deemed it safe to use. As for Maya Island Air, their representatives say that they will fly to Chan Chen as well, so customers who fly to Corozal on a regular basis do not need to fret. If there are any changes to the schedule both airlines say that they will make announcements.

Travelers heading to Corozal should take into account this new location and contact their personal taxi service providers with the new address for pickup and drop off. For more information contact you can contact Tropic Air at 226-2012 or Maya Island Air at 226-2485.