Cape Eleuthera Airport

Economic reasons. The airport was built exclusively to serve the ambitious Cape Eleuthera Resort. When the resort, which was the airport's sole reason for existence, went bankrupt and closed, all air traffic ceased. The high cost of maintaining a 7,000-foot runway without the resort's revenue stream was unsustainable. Furthermore, the proximity of the public Rock Sound Airport (MYER), located just 10 miles to the north, made the Cape Eleuthera strip redundant for serving the general needs of the southern part of the island.

The airport is abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery clearly shows the full length of the runway, but it is heavily overgrown with vegetation and is completely unusable for any aviation activity. The pavement is cracked and deteriorated after decades of neglect. While the surrounding area has seen some redevelopment with the newer, smaller-scale Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina, the airport itself has been left to decay and has not been incorporated into the new operations. It remains a ghostly landmark visible from the air, a testament to the original resort's failed ambition.

The airport was a key component of a massive luxury development project on Eleuthera. Initially developed by Gulf American Corporation (GAC) in the late 1960s, the project was later purchased and championed by Juan Trippe, the legendary founder of Pan American World Airways, after his retirement. The airport was designed to be the private gateway for the resort, allowing wealthy clients, celebrities, and potential real estate investors to fly directly to the property in their private jets. It featured a substantial paved runway of approximately 7,000 feet, capable of handling business jets of the era like the Gulfstream II and Learjets, as well as charter flights. Its existence symbolized the grand, exclusive vision Trippe had for creating a premier destination in the Bahamas.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening the airport. The cost to clear, resurface, and recertify the runway and facilities to modern standards would be immense. With the fully operational Rock Sound Airport (MYER) serving the region effectively and being only a 15-20 minute drive away, there is no economic or logistical justification for reopening a second major runway in such close proximity. Future development in the area is focused on the marina, real estate, and resort amenities, not on aviation infrastructure. It is highly unlikely that Cape Eleuthera Airport will ever be restored to an operational state.