Castaway Cay (Gorda Cay) Airstrip

The airstrip was closed and repurposed following the acquisition of the island by The Walt Disney Company. Disney leased Gorda Cay from the Bahamian government in 1997 with a 99-year lease. The company's business model for the island, renamed Castaway Cay, is exclusively as a private port of call for its cruise line. There was no need for a public or private airport; instead, the focus shifted entirely to servicing cruise ships. The existing airstrip was therefore decommissioned as an active runway and integrated into the island's ground infrastructure.

The former airstrip is no longer used for aviation. The Walt Disney Company has repurposed the paved runway into a multi-use service and recreational area. Its primary functions now include:

1. **Service Road:** It serves as a main thoroughfare for service vehicles, trams, and bicycles to move supplies and personnel around the 'backstage' areas of the island.
2. **Equipment Storage:** Large sections of the strip are used as a staging and storage area for island equipment, maintenance vehicles, and shipping containers.
3. **Guest Recreation:** A significant portion of the airstrip is incorporated into guest activities. It forms part of the path for the 'Castaway Cay 5K' running course and is also used as a bike path for guests renting bicycles.

While it is still visibly an airstrip, it is not maintained to aviation standards and lacks any airport support infrastructure. It is colloquially referred to as 'The Airstrip' by guests and crew.

The Gorda Cay Airstrip has a notorious and significant history, primarily from the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this period, the island and its airstrip were developed and used as a major hub for illegal drug smuggling operations. A resident of the island, Frank Barber, reportedly operated a sophisticated drug trafficking network, using the 3,100-foot paved runway to fly cocaine and other narcotics from Colombia into the United States. The island's strategic location made it an ideal transshipment point. The airstrip was central to this multimillion-dollar enterprise, which ended after law enforcement, including the DEA, raided the island in the early 1980s. Before its use for smuggling, the island was largely undeveloped with only a primitive, unpaved strip. The paved runway seen today was constructed specifically to support the smuggling operations' aircraft.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Castaway Cay Airstrip for aviation purposes. The island is owned and operated by Disney as an exclusive, private destination for its cruise passengers. The entire infrastructure, business model, and guest experience are built around maritime access. Re-establishing it as a functional airport would be counter to its current purpose, require significant investment to meet modern aviation safety standards, and disrupt the established flow and 'story' of the private island retreat. Its current use as a service and recreational path is fully integrated into the island's operations, making a return to aviation highly improbable.