to be extended from 4,645 feet to approximately 7,100 feet, and would thereby allow mainline jetliner types such as Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320 aircraft to fly directly to and from the continental United States and Latin America. However, in June 2017 the Government appeared to confirm that the proposed runway expansion would not be going forward. In 2019, a Titan Airways-operated Airbus A318-100 jet landed at the airport, which is the largest aircraft ever operated into the airport. Airlines and destinations Passenger Historically, in 1986 the airport had scheduled passenger jet service operated by British Caribbean Airways, with direct flights to Miami. British Caribbean operated a British Aerospace BAe 146-100 jetliner. This was only jet service operated into Tortola at that time. The proposed return of jet service to Miami Thirty years after the short-lived British Caribbean Airways offered jet service to Miami utilizing British Aerospace BAe 146-100 aircraft, Tortola-based BVI Airways announced the start of new nonstop Miami service using Avro RJ100 jet airliners with this aircraft being a later version of the Bae 146 jet. However the new service never flew, and BVI Airways is now presumed to be defunct having laid off all of its staff shortly before Hurricane Irma stuck in 2017. American Airlines has announced it will initiate new nonstop jet service between Tortola and Miami on June 1, 2023 with these flights being operated by its American Eagle code sharing affiliate with Embraer 175 regional jets. Air BVI Air BVI was an airline based at the airport which operated scheduled passenger service from the early the 1970s to the mid 1990s with Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander and Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft as well as with Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprops during its existence. The regional air carrier served Anegada, Antigua, La Romana, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, San Juan and Virgin Gorda besides Tortola and also operated a small hub at the airport. Cargo Accidents and incidents On 5 April 1971, a Vinair Douglas C-47 with registration N57372 operating an international cargo flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico crashed upon landing. The aircraft was heavily damaged and was written off. On 6 May 1993, a Short 330 turboprop operated by Atlantic Air BVI overran the runway and landed in the sea after aborting on takeoff. All passengers and crew survived. The airframe was damaged beyond economic repair and was sunk as a