Cistern Cay, BS 🇧🇸 Closed Airport
BS-0021
-
18 ft
BS-BY
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 25.7787° N, -77.885201° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: MYBT MYX5
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Circa early 2010s. While an exact date is not documented, satellite imagery shows the runway was well-maintained in the mid-2000s but marked with large 'X's, indicating closure, by the early-to-mid 2010s. The closure coincided with the period when the private island was placed on the real estate market.
Economic reasons and change of ownership. The airport was a private airstrip for the owner of Lignum Vitae Cay. When the cay was put up for sale, the airport fell into disuse and was not maintained, leading to its eventual official closure. It was not closed due to a specific accident, environmental issue, or military conversion.
The runway is physically intact but is officially and permanently closed. It is marked with large white 'X's at both thresholds, the standard visual signal for a closed runway. The asphalt surface is weathered and becoming overgrown. The entire island, including the airstrip site, was purchased by Royal Caribbean International (RCI) in 2021. RCI is planning to develop the island into a private cruise destination known as the 'Royal Beach Club'.
Cistern Field was a private-use airstrip located on Lignum Vitae Cay, immediately adjacent to Cistern Cay in the Berry Islands. Its sole purpose was to provide direct, convenient access for the island's owner and their guests. Operations would have consisted of small private aircraft, such as single-engine piston planes and small turboprops, capable of using its relatively short runway (approximately 2,400 feet). It was an essential amenity that made the remote private island easily accessible from Florida or Nassau.
Uncertain and unlikely in its original capacity. The future of the airstrip is entirely dependent on Royal Caribbean International's development plans for the Royal Beach Club. While it is possible RCI could refurbish the runway for logistical support, executive transport, or exclusive guest fly-in packages, it is also highly probable that the land will be repurposed for other resort amenities. There have been no public announcements from RCI confirming any plans to reopen the airport.