Commercial flights into the storm ravaged Douglas-Charles Airport are expected to recommence as early as next week, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said.
According to the Prime Minister, the country has received the all clear from the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) for a number of air carriers to land at Douglas-Charles.
The ECCAA a civil aviation authority serving the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It serves as the aviation accident and incident investigation authority of its jurisdiction and is headquartered in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
“We have gotten clearance from the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority for the LIAT planes to land in Dominica,” he said on Thursday. “Earlier this week, we had gotten approval for the ATR42 to land, as of this morning (Thursday 10 September 2015), ECCAA gave the all clear for the ATR72 to land… and prior to that we had also gotten approval for Winair and Seaborne to land in Dominica.”
The airport was not spared when Tropical Storm Erika, on 27 August, visited the island leaving equipment, furniture and other items in the terminal building destroyed. The runway was severely affected when the nearby Melville Hall River overflowed its banks.
Skerrit informed that the CEO of LIAT, the Director General of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, Donald Jeremy McPhail, along with the LIAT’s Chief Pilot and other senior officers have been to the airport conducting their own independent assessment and investigation.
Based on this, the country’s leader said, both LIAT and the ECCAA are satisfied that the Douglas Charles Airport is at a “state where commercial flights can be channeled through”.
“The CEO of LIAT has said to me, and has said to the government, that LIAT will restore services to Douglas Charles Airport as early as Monday but no later than Tuesday, they will commence operations,” he stated.
He said a couple of days is needed to allow the country to be reinstated back into the airline’s schedule and system and a they are working with LIAT to see if a trial run could be made with passengers on Friday.
.
We need cheaper flights now to come home and visit our love ones.
The same liat Dominicans always call on to be shut down.. What a strange thing eh..learn to appreciated what is ours..
why did it take so long?
Great effort and determination to see that the airport is opened. God bless each and everybody for a great job and hard work with him everything is possible.
Thank you..thank you…
That is great news and brilliant accomplishment by all who worked so tirelessly to achieve this. ???. Dominica, my homeland here I come. Thank you so much to all.
Great job, keep up the good work. Thanks to all who put in the effort.
This is a perfect example of man being determined and working together to accomplish a common goal…get the Douglas-Charles airport back up and functional as soon as possible. Great Job to all involved.
Thank you to all involved in restoring the Douglas-Charles airport.
Rev Dr. William Watty wrote an article entitled Erica’s lessons. In that piece he notes (among many other nerve wrecking realities) “In retrospect, building an airport by usurping the natural course of a river was plain madness. Whatever may have been the arguments for it, it was merely a disaster pending”. To say the least that there was political opposition as to where the airport terminal should have been located (northern side of runway proposed) is +fire. The debate which will follow post Douglas -Charles clean-up will be interesting. Arguments in favour or against will centre around pertinent questions such as: Can we afford to spend additional $XXMs (which we have already spent) to up the standard and even surpass its service delivery prior Erica? Are we being mindful that the river can easily come back and say I taking back my land you “borrowed” from me to do your airport as highlighted by the Doc. We urge ALL Dominicans to read his article and hold OURselves…
Good job, ready for WCF !!!!
I must say great job on the airport .