On Saturday 18 May 2019, the Commander-In –Chief (CINC), President Danny Faure visited Providence, where he saw the newly completed air strip on the island firsthand. The Providence Atoll is part of the Farquhar Group of islands, 705 kilometres southwest of Mahé.
The air strip is 1300 meters long by 23 metres wide and crucial to future development of the island. Work on the air strip started on 10 December 2018 and was completed on 20 March 2019. Government contributed SCR 5 million toward the total cost of the project, which was SCR 19.5 million.
CINC visited the developments on the island, including renovated facilities that have been made cyclone proof. IDC is in the process of developing infrastructure on Providence, having earmarked a 10 room guesthouse for tourism, and 2 bungalows specifically for Seychellois residents, so as to encourage local tourism.
The new facilities should be operational by March 2020.
This is the last runway to be built on the outer islands. The other 10 runways are on Alphonse, Assomption, Astove, Coetïvy, Desroches, Farquhar, Marie-Louise, Platte, Poivre, and Remire.
CINC was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Colonel Michael Rosette, Principal Secretary for Finance, Mr Damien Thesee, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Ted Barbe, CEO of IDC, Mr Glenny Savy and the Deputy CEO, Mrs Veronique Herminie.
