The first scheduled flight has landed on the remote island of St Helena in the middle of the South Atlantic. The flight touched down at Saint Helena Airport on Saturday with 68 passengers on board. One passenger, a British travel operator, had flown from Scotland to be on the flight. She said: "I've never felt so emotional in all my life. I never thought I'd see this day." This first flight marks a new era for the island, which is 1,900 km west of Africa. Previously, the only way of getting there was by a ship that sailed once every three weeks from Cape Town, South Africa.
The airport will boost the island's economy and tourism. However, the British media said it was "the most useless airport in the world". It was built with $380m of British taxpayers' money - $80,000 for every person on the island. It was due to open in 2016, but dangerous winds delayed the launch. Saint Helena's Governor, Lisa Phillips, dismissed the criticism from the British media. She said: "For St Helena, this has already been the most useful airport. It's priceless." She added: "I for one am getting really excited about the new chapter in St Helena's history."