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Scaffolding has been put up around the control tower at Alderney Airport to "reinforce" it after bits fell off last week.
A statement from Guernsey Ports - which is responsible for Alderney Airport - confirmed that "scaffolding has been erected around the control tower at Alderney Airport to reinforce the structure and enable further engineering surveys to be carried out".
Problems were first identified last Wednesday.
Alderney States Member Steve Roberts was one of the first to raise the alarm - posting on X about his concerns.
Alderney Arrivals closed due to dust debris falling .
— steve roberts (@captainpipkin) August 21, 2024
How long to we have to endure this as a taxpayer ?
A dangerous neglect on a transferred service to a full tax paying Bailiwick.
Neglect on a an air service, a runway and now a tower that stands immediately above terminal.
His concerns were echoed by fellow Alderney States Member Alex Snowdon.
Safety standards are essential for Alderney Airport.
— Alex Snowdon (@AlexSnowdon5) August 21, 2024
I hope the Tower can be maintained quickly to allow Alderney arrivals to be reopened. There should be a maintenance program for the Control Tower to avoid this from happening.
I look forward to hearing updates from STSB. https://t.co/UcnF8L5okZ pic.twitter.com/AdWTP1elKd
Almost a week after the "dust debris" was first seen falling from the building, Guernsey Ports has now confirmed that the metal beams have suffered from "corrosion".
"An initial engineering inspection was carried out last Friday, and confirmed corrosion in the support metal beams along the base of the control room cabin," said the statement. "These beams rest on the tower’s reinforced concrete base structure.
"A full structural survey is now planned for next month. This will identify the full extent of the corrosion and potential remediation options."
Pictured: Alderney Airport's control tower is now encased in scaffolding.
All flights to and from Alderney continue to operate as normal but passengers are still using the temporary 'covid' arrivals hall as a precaution.
That will be reviewed by Guernsey Ports this week, "with a view to restoring arrivals into the main terminal, once engineers have confirmed the scaffolding support structure is complete", said Ports in its statement.
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