Scrub Island Airfield

Economic reasons. The airstrip was built exclusively to serve a massive, planned luxury resort and marina development on Scrub Island. This project collapsed due to the 2008 global financial crisis, lack of continued funding, and significant environmental and local opposition. With the development project abandoned, the airfield had no purpose and was deserted.

The site is abandoned and completely unusable for aviation. The unpaved, dirt-and-gravel runway is still clearly visible from satellite imagery, but it is heavily overgrown with scrub brush and grass. There are no standing facilities, markings, or infrastructure. The island remains uninhabited and is a nature preserve of sorts, popular for day trips by boat from the main island of Anguilla for hiking, bird watching, and snorkeling.

The airfield's history is short and tied directly to the ambitious but ultimately failed 'Scrub Island Development' project. It was constructed to provide private, direct air access for high-net-worth individuals who would own property or stay at the proposed exclusive resort. Its existence is a physical remnant of a large-scale speculative real estate boom in the Caribbean that ended abruptly with the 2008 financial crisis. Operations were minimal, likely limited to a handful of flights by small charter or private aircraft carrying developers, surveyors, or potential investors during the project's initial phases. It never handled scheduled or commercial traffic.

There are currently no active, publicly known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. Any revival would be contingent upon a new, fully-funded, and approved development project for Scrub Island, which would face the same significant financial and environmental challenges as its predecessor. As of now, the reopening of Scrub Island Airfield is considered highly improbable.