Pearls Airport

Pearls Airport

Pearls Airport was an airport in Grenada, located along the northeastern corner of the island, about 31 km northeast of the capital, St. George's. It was the first airport in the country, which opened in 1943 and was managed by the Grenada Airports Authority and did not operate on a daily basis. During World War II, Pearls was used by the Allies for military aircraft. The runway was extended and paved to its final length when the airport returned to civilian use after the war. However, the airport was unsuitable for further improvements due to the surrounding hills and its distance from the capital city of St. George's. During the U.S. invasion of Grenada on October 25, 1983, Marines from the 8th Marine Regiment helicoptered in nearby and captured Pearls Airport, encountering only light resistance. At that time, the airport consisted of a cinder block terminal and operations building as well as a fuel storage facility. Two parked aircraft were impounded by the Marines. One was an AN-26 turboprop owned by Cubana Airlines that had arrived from Havana the day before with two high-ranking Cuban officials on board. The other was an AN-2R biplane, given to Grenada by the Soviet Union, ostensibly for spraying agricultural crops. The Marines used the airfield as a base for offensive operations to complete the subjugation of the eastern side of the island throughout the ensuing period of hostilities. By 1984, Grenada's main airport had been replaced by Point Salines International Airport, which is now called Maurice Bishop International Airport. Today Pearls is a construction site and used as a drag strip. The AN-26 and AN-2R wreckage can be found near the old terminal.