A new, larger terminal at the V.C. Bird International Airport, the home base for regional airline LIAT, will open shortly.
On Thursday, July 2, LIAT together with other carriers and their staff, participated in a full-scale simulation exercise at the new terminal building, which was done to test the various systems and to highlight any issues ahead of the official opening of the new facility.
Dozens of people, including LIAT employees, participated in the simulation exercise. They first checked in, went through immigration and security on the upper level of the terminal and prepared for departure through the allocated gates. They then proceeded through immigration, before collecting their luggage and going through customs and exiting the terminal.
Several agencies took part in Thursday’s exercise. Among them, ground-handlers, representatives from the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, customs, immigration, red caps, taxi operators and dispatchers, as well as personnel of all key airlines serving the island.
Among the systems and facilities tested were the departure check-in counters, signage, escalators and elevators, security, immigration, jet-bridges, baggage carousels and public address systems. At the end of the exercise, all participants handed over to the Antigua and Barbuda Airports Authority (ABAA) their completed survey forms, providing first hand feedback on the customer experience and details of any issues they felt needed addressing.
The airport terminal, built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, has 14 departure gates, modern security screening facilities, as well as a VIP lounge. A mini food court and various concession outlets should be opened in due course, ready for the opening.
The new terminal also boasts 46 CUTE (Common Use Terminal Systems) check-in areas; 15 self-check-in kiosks; advanced technology baggage handling systems; state-of-the-art screening equipment; four passenger loading bridges; 13 retail and four food and beverage outlets. There are also short and long-term parking facilities.
Officials say when the terminal opens it could be the most advanced in the region.
Be for real poto laborites we need a runway capable of handling long range flights. Leave politics out of this we need the facility. If we continue to say we can’t afford it we will be at the mercy of the Antiguans. Ralph Gonzales can give us advise not to build and he is building. Kachile!
hon ralph gonzales once said that dominica do not need an international airport yet its quite interesting that st,vincent is preparing to open a state of the art international airpport. our pm liston to backwardness and foolish statements. da please read between the lines. where there is no vision the people perish
He is right, Dominica doesnt need one. First of all, Dominica is not a destination on high demand, do you think the airport is what really invites other airlines? its much more than that. So lets say we get this international airport tomorrow, and British Airways decided to introduce flights between Dominica and England, do you really think Dominica can afford to subsidize? If Dominica was a destination on demand, more airlines would have been coming. Soooo many airlines pull out and why do you think so? Its just not profitable for them.
great job congrat to the government of antigua & barbuda
aba ka twavale pour Dominic westay aba tous les zort.
I am not elated for their move to new quarters. They make their profit by overcharging passengers as they also charge them for overweight while also being late and making passengers wait for hours, if not the next day or more to arrive at their destination.
These days passengers can only carry approximately 40 to 50 lbs in their luggage. Let us say, I am mad as hell with those airlines.
People should boycott all those airlines – every one of them for a while. Let them taste a piece of their pie that they hand to passengers. They do not encourage many people to fly at all, especially if they feel they do not have to. If you ask me, they are non-caring and are only out for the profit. I can challenge LIAT and other airlines on this.
So folks, if you do not see me and my family often in Dominica, this is a primary reason. I am comfortable where i reside.
We hope we live long enough to see D/ca’s international airport. God bless D/ca and this effort. Patience!
I am proud to be part Antiguan birth place of my Mother’S Mother progressive and broad minded people
How can Dominicans continue to say that Labour is working?
Antigua is celebrating the expansion of its international airport, other Caribbean islands have operating international airports, but there is Dominica one of the largest islands in the Caribbean still operating a micro airport. And the imbeciles believe that by renaming the airport with a double barrel name they have turned it international.
Dominica is regressing whilst our neighbouring islands are progressing.
Salusbury was treated harshly, as it was an opportunity to deflect attention from the failure if the current regime,
Labour ca travail my foot.
In brief and simple terms, to begin with, Labour does not own and operate an airline.
It is no reflection on Labor or Dominica. Cease and desist your critique. OK!
thats why you will continue to beg @the red clinic,you fools have no shame.
Of course it is labour’s fault.
They built a carbuncle namely the presidential mausoleum , instead of building an international airport.
No wonder Dr Honeychurcj is escaping to Barbados. He too realises that Dominica is not progressing!
Labour is not working. There are no visionaries in the current regime.
Congrats to the people of Antigua. This is a positive step in the direction of becoming a full developed nation.
I look forward to the days when the in-transit nonsense of re-screening through security after you just arrived in Antigua on a LIAT flight; only to catch another LIAT to your final destination…..are behind us!
Considering all the tourists they get from all over the world, they can afford it.
I know some A/guans, friends of mine and I have spent time there. I still love the place and have some fond memories of it. Who knows? In the future I may also spend some time there but I will not compliment LIAT.
While the building will be admired, I do not think LIAT deserves our (D/can) compliment. They have made passengers suffer too much with their retardation of service. I do not see any reason why I should compliment LIAT
When LIAT commences offering specials to passengers, then it will be worthy of my praise.
At least we have one baggage carousel
This does not change the nasty service Dominicans get from Liat,now with the new terminal it will be more delays,this is all aploy to keep us in ANTIGUA to spend our monies before arrival in Dominica,i got the other route,Liat can go to hell.
And Liat service will still suck…
While Antigua is celebrating the grand-opening of their new state of the art terminal and St. Vincent is well on their way to completing their brand new airport, we the Dominican people are being urged to transfer in othe islands.
Our new slogan should be: “Backward ever, forward never.”
The interesting thing is that these sustainable structures were built with money that these two OECS countires sourced from China. We too sourced funds from China; we used ours to build a State Palace my dear!! “De Country NICE boy ….” is Chris B/Ian Jackson say so!!!
In this case, I have a few more words to say. The D/can government should not bail out LIAT in the future.
They are smart. While crying no money, they must have misused it, been hoarding it and deceiving their investors as the OECS countries. Some executives could be tricky and deceiving.
Dominicans have not gotten better, preferential service from LIAT.
I will tell LIAT to take a back step.