BRITAIN'S newest and most dangerous airport has been grounded – because planes cannot land there.
A video of a British Airways liner coming in for landing at St Helena's £285million airport reveals just how tricky it is to touch down on the wind-buffeted Atlantic island.
The jet closes in for landing on the island 1,150 miles west of South Africa, but it is forced to abort after being thrown about by fierce winds.
The British colony is renowned for its extreme Atlantic gusts.
And it has forced officials into re-thinking the opening of the airport, which was due to be officially unveiled last month.
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In test runs commercial jets have struggled to land on the tarmac in the face of heavy winds.
The island – where Napoleon was exiled following the Battle of Waterloo – is one of the world's most remote spots and only accessible via a boat from South Africa or the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha.
And the delay in opening the much-awaited airport is likely to cause dismay amongst its population of just over 4,000.
Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office said: "The airport's planned opening date in May 2016 has been postponed as outstanding safety concerns are addressed, potentially adding to the project's cost and delaying its benefits."
The multi-million pound airport is being paid for by the Department for International Development.
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