The Argyle International Airport (AIA) will close for nearly 18 hours beginning on Saturday for what the authorities say will be for ‘scheduled maintenance’ after the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) last weekend issued a Notice to Airmen/Air Missions (NOTAM) temporarily downgrading the facility.
In a statement, the AIA said that the aerodrome will be closed to flight operations from Saturday, December 13, at 6:30 p.m. to Sunday, December 14, at 1.00 p.m (local time). ‘Passengers scheduled to travel during this period are kindly asked to contact their respective airlines or travel agencies to confirm flight status and to make any necessary rebooking or alternative travel arrangements.
‘AIA Inc. sincerely apologises for any inconvenience this temporary closure may cause and thanks the public for their understanding and cooperation as we continue to uphold the highest standards of safety and operational reliability at our airport,’ the statement said.
This is the second consecutive weekend that flight operations at the airport have been disrupted. Last weekend, at least one international flight – Virgin Atlantic from London via Barbados – was cancelled, and an American Airlines flight to Miami was rescheduled because of the condition at the runway.
Last Sunday, the FAA issued a NOTAM downgrading the airport to accommodate aircraft with a maximum take-off weight below 225,000 lbs.
But in a Facebook post on Tuesday, the AIA management denied that the airport had been downgraded by the FAA.
‘AIA took a precautionary decision to temporarily limit the operating weight of aircraft using the runway on Sunday, 7 December 2025, to allow repair works to be conducted. Following the successful completion of these works, normal runway operations were fully restored on Monday, 8 December 2025,’ the airport said in its Facebook post.
Earlier this week, former prime minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, expressed disappointment in the functioning of the New Democratic Party (NDP) administration since it was voted into office on November. 27.
‘And I see very early missteps, which is indicative of a complete lack of preparation on the part of the NDP for governance,’ Gonsalves said, citing ‘the downgrading of the Argyle International Airport in respect of the receipt of Virgin Atlantic’ as an example.
‘Had the government been curious, we would not have had the suspension of the Virgin flight,’ said the Opposition Leader, noting that the issue at the airport had been in the news for months.