the Defence High Frequency Communications Service. The station is operated by Babcock International Group on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Suspension of operations and runway repair Potholes on the runway led to the suspension in April 2017 of all Ministry of Defence South Atlantic Air Bridge Flights between RAF Mount Pleasant and RAF Brize Norton until at least 2019/2020. An Airbus A330 aircraft operated by AirTanker Services on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) carried out those flights although a limited number of commercial passenger tickets were available. Those flights now travel via Dakar. Planes for emergency medical evacuation flights and the newly established monthly charter flight to Saint Helena Airport are not impacted given the size of aircraft used. Essential personnel and equipment are also exempt from the suspension. In February 2021, an RAF A400M aircraft delivered Covid-19 vaccines to the island. While A330s were unable to land at the airport until the repair reached a stage to permit the resumption of full flight operations, the United States military continued to maintain a weekly flight between the island and Patrick Space Force Base in Florida, only for the use of its personnel, while the MV Ascension supply ship regularly services US facilities. A repair project aimed at restoring service to the airport celebrated its halfway point in March 2022. In August 2022, the eastern portion of the runway was completed, allowing full flight operations to resume, with a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III of the 21st Airlift Squadron being the first aircraft of that size to use the improved runway on 31 August 2022. Earlier that month, an RAF A400M aircraft flying from Ascension Island was refueled for the first time by a Voyager KC.2 aircraft flying out of RAF Mount Pleasant. The repairs to the western side of the runway are expected to be completed in Spring of 2023. Based units Units based at Ascension Island. Strategic Command Director of Overseas Bases British Forces South Atlantic Islands RAF Ascension Island United States Space Force Space Operations Command (SpOC) Space Launch Delta 45 45th Mission Support Group Detachment 2 Airlines and destinations On 18 November 2017, SA Airlink started a scheduled weekly charter from Longwood, Saint Helena to the island. See also Saint Helena Airport List of Royal Air Force stations References External links Ascension Island Government – Travel to Ascension by Air FAA Airport