Tonge promises Florida to Dominica flights this year

Tonge said the matter is not an election gimmick

Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge, has told stakeholders in the tourism industry that this year there will be direct flights from Miami to Dominica.

He spoke at a Discover Dominica Tourism Summit last weekend.

“God’s willing, this year, fingers crossed, we will have a direct flight from Florida to Dominica,” he stated.

Tonge told participants the matter is not an ‘election gimmick.’

“I can assure you this is not an election gimmick but is an initiative that you have recommended, the Air Access Committee has recommended to ensure that we create that economic space to make things work for you,” he said.

He stated that over the years stakeholders have lobbied the government of Dominica on the matter.

“We have an air access committee whose role is to look and see how best we can improve in terms of access and last year when the Government of Dominica increase the (marketing) budget to $12-million which is the highest we ever had, this included funding to make these initiatives a reality,” he remarked.

Tonge said he looks forward to the flight.

“So I look forward to having this direct flight on your behalf which will improve access, increase the ease of persons coming to Dominica to fill your rooms,” he stated.

In 2013 CIT Airlines (Caribbean Island Transport) promised direct flights from Florida to Dominica but that never materialized.

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66 Comments

  1. Made Facts
    June 20, 2018
  2. d-a born
    June 20, 2018

    “God’s willing, this year, fingers crossed, we will have a direct flight from Florida to Dominica,”

    So, where’s the concrete evidence that this is gonna happen? A statement like that isn’t at all convincing. Is this how politicians in D/ca talk nowadays?

    • J4R
      June 20, 2018

      he is clearly not a good politician.. He lies, but he is not as good as the others.

  3. viewsexpressed
    June 20, 2018

    How many times do we have to read and accept these fake news ………Read this nonsensical garbage
    ““We have an air access committee whose role is to look and see how best we can improve in terms of access and last year when the Government of Dominica increase the (marketing) budget to $12-million which is the highest we ever had, this included funding to make these initiatives a reality,” he remarked.”

    Skerrit and his bunch of politically illiterate minister scouts rant and ravaging Labour nonsense. What is laughable is to read between the lines, where it is said that “We have an air access committee whose role is to look and see how best we can improve in terms of access”. Years passed reading this oxymoron message, just to appease we Dominicans and as if we are dummies in cans like this Corrupt blind waste of time corrupt Labour government. Dominicans please run away from this hopeless government and let us take back Domininca from Skerrit and his political clowns…

  4. Jonathan Y St Jean
    June 19, 2018

    When Robbie says that this statement is not an election gimmick, you better believe that it is, otherwise, why would he bring it up unprovoked? I can understand if he had made the statement and people voiced skepticism then he would come back and seek to clarify his words but this isn’t the case here. One question for Robbie is what will the regularity be? Also, what will the capacity of that aircraft be and will it be year-round or only for festive seasons in Dominica? For this venture to be successful it has to be profitable and there must be sufficient passengers to enable direct flights on a reliable and consistent basis. Until Robbie provides more information I’m filing this one as an election gimmick

  5. MuddUp
    June 19, 2018

    Go and help your father 8)

  6. June 19, 2018

    Didn’t made that same promise last year, and the year before? why don’t he just shut the F up and do it ,, direct flight ? realy how big is the plan? and where it gonna land?. you have lied so much to the people they are believing you, them laborites, but you guys days are numbered, labor must go.

  7. Roy Williams
    June 19, 2018

    Carnival is coming, Tonge has a new calypso. The name of his calypso is, ” in time to come Dominica will have direct flights to Miami. “

  8. Neverson St jean
    June 19, 2018

    Another committee? Very soon every Dominican will be on one and things will still be the same

  9. jamie
    June 19, 2018

    The fools that continue to listen to you guys i feel for them,Dominica has been @ the brink of corruption lies and money laundering,to enrich the elite,you guys days are coming to and end very soon.

  10. creampie
    June 19, 2018

    He not even waiting for someone to say that, cause every year is the same promise. “Tonge told participants the matter is not an ‘election gimmick.’

    “I can assure you this is not an election gimmick but is an initiative that you have recommended, the Air Access Committee has recommended to ensure that we create that economic space to make things work for you,” he said.”

    Sir,it’s better to be thought of as a fool than to blow hot air,and remove all doubts.

  11. Music Producer
    June 19, 2018

    “God’s willing,… fingers crossed,” 8-O 8-O 8-O Is this some kind of joke?

    • Toto
      June 19, 2018

      Ha, has, has in this case it is God who has his fingers crossed honestly.

    • June 19, 2018

      No, it represents the uncertainty inherent to any incomplete set of negotiations.

      • Neville
        June 20, 2018

        Why don’t you keep your wisdom to yourself. Whenever we ask this government for clarification, i.e. passport for D. Douglas, 100 Mio written of by Venezuela, ownership of the Cabrits Hotel, MOU with China amongst others, all we get is silence. We did not ask Tonge about this matter but he still chooses to tell us about it even though in your own words negotiations might still be ongoing. All this government is doing is feeding us with their propaganda which time and time again turns out to be nothing but pie in the sky!! The only direct flight that lands in DA direct from Miami are those packed with voters that Skerrit bribed and this occurs roughly every 5 years.

  12. Tj
    June 19, 2018

    It disappointed to listen to government ministers again and again that flights will be coming from Florida. This government met land to construct an international airport from the James administration and refuse to continue the project. Make me believe you this time Mr. Tonge,[email protected]

  13. Merina McKenzie
    June 19, 2018

    Domestic Airlines, a new product to Domestic Insurance.
    Robert Tongue will be the captain.
    All Fools Day was April l. :lol:

  14. Truth Be Told
    June 19, 2018

    Well done boss, just keep promising them the same thing every year. Labour party has been using that trick for almost 20 years now, and it continues to work on Dominicans! SMDH :oops:

  15. Larry Grell
    June 19, 2018

    Hi Robbie. Should we cross 60,70, or 80 % of our fingers? Are you referring to the direct flights you guys usually organise to bring in voters on polling day. You sell out Skerro. He will not be happy with you. By the way long I have not seen you on the block…..since Skerro buy Issac you scarce. I was asking dem man at the Stadium for some matrials they tell me go to Issac…..I wanted to come to you as my Aunty still waiting for her insurance claim cheque. Since January she waiting. Can you help her? Also de fella that give de dog rabies saying it’s a new idea de direct flight thing…..mister don’t know every year you keep saying the same thing…..enlighten de fella. Stay safe,bro.

    • viewsexpressed
      June 20, 2018

      Hi Robbie. Should we cross 60,70, or 80 % of our fingers? Are you referring to the direct flights you guys usually organise to bring in voters on polling day.”

      Same old BS nonsense from these incompetent guys. You men to tell me an intellectual like Robbie does not have the Balls to stand up firm (?) to Skerrit and tell him to get lost, he is a waste of time.

      What a hopeless, waste f time corrupt Labour Government

  16. debb
    June 18, 2018

    Zoorrr I muss laugh:-D :-D fingers crossed? that sounds like child’s play to me. Ladies and gentlemen this is certainly not happening in the near future we are not ready.

  17. Zandoli
    June 18, 2018

    This looks like a money pit to me. These guys are so desperately to show they brought direct air access to Dominica, they will throw all kinds of money at it.

  18. Real truth
    June 18, 2018

    The only direct flight/s available from Fl. This year to DA , would be DLP Airline charter flights to bring in voters! So, in this regard my Brudda not lying……..LOL!

    • Anonymous
      June 19, 2018

      I think you may be right. An airline created to disguise the fact that it is a carrier for those illegal voters to come home and put Skerrit on our back again. The passenger can show they paid a fare and the airline will reimburse them.

  19. June 18, 2018

    An other liar to the people.

  20. Charles
    June 18, 2018

    Tonge said the matter is not an election gimmick’- if not ,then it must be Christmas in July Robbie. ‘Mesyie Quick—-Quack.’

  21. AA
    June 18, 2018

    Election must be coming boy. Is it going to be just like the night landing ***ness that you all did last election?

  22. Ibo France
    June 18, 2018

    Mr. Minister, intelligent people now demand commitments not vague promises. Show the country some documentary proof of this that you claim. The present crop of the incumbent politicians suffer from a deficit of honesty. This is one of their election gimmicks. The only thing this administration does well is to lie, cheat, trick, and use donor funds as election bait to fool unsuspecting and gullible electors. The people have been lied to so often that their souls have grown weary from the weight of disappointment. Finally, this regime’s soulless serial lying is legendary. Just check their entire record for the last 18 straight years.

  23. Roseau River
    June 18, 2018

    Believe when I see it. Who will be the air carrier? How frequently will flights occur? What will be the cost from Miami to Dominica?

  24. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    June 18, 2018

    Tong, or Tongue whatever your name or however you wish to spell your name; you are talking a bunch of hogwash, you are talking nonsense. If you are pretending that there will be passenger flights from Florida to Dominica on regular passenger flights, you know that is a darn lie!

    There can be flights from Mimi Florida today and everyday of the week for that matter. Anybody who have the money to charter a flight, or flights from Miami to Dominica can charter certain types of aircraft with the range to reach Dominica. In 1959, there is a man from Wesley name Denis Provost.

    An aircraft used to fly from Miami to Dominica with the owner to buy agricultural produce from Denis, he mostly bought cucumbers from him. The impression you are trying to create is that there will be regular passenger commercial flights to an from Dominica; that is not going to happen, and you know your garbage talk is a lie!

    ………………..!

    • June 19, 2018

      You really cannot spell “Tonge”? Come on man, it’s just five letters long, use your skills from first grade.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 19, 2018

        You see the name Tongue originates on the island of Antigua, and came to Dominica between the years 1920/1940’s One of them who came was Edgar Tongue, a former police inspector in Dominica, who spell his name precisely  as I write it here.

        For some reason I do not know why; his nephew a Dominica born, Author Tongue perhaps long dead in New York spell his name the same way that Dominican clown playing minister of government do!

        So, I ask you which is correct the Dominica way or the Antigua way where the name originated?

        It is a slave name anyway!; I hope you get the point!

  25. June 18, 2018

    If that can happen good. But my concern is the new airport The prime minister stated publicly that they have enough money to build the runway. Since the early 70’s we have been doing studies in order to find a suitable location for the airport, it is close to 50 years and we are still talking. If the government has the money start the project!

    • June 19, 2018

      With connecting flights like this, we wouldn’t need to blow EC$1 billion on another airport. Indeed, if we cannot even arrange for flights from MIA or FLL, then a larger airport would be a complete waste of money, because no airlines would take advantage of it.

  26. DOMINICA AVIATION
    June 18, 2018

    Check the airlines that are available now in the region. Thw one peomiaed some time ago never came to pass .

  27. Toto
    June 18, 2018

    Yes, yes mr. Tong and Christmas will fall on Easter too.

  28. Iamanidiot
    June 18, 2018

    ““God’s willing, this year, fingers crossed, we will have a direct flight from Florida to Dominica,”

    That is not a promise. Since when is “Finger’s crossed” a promise

    • Music Producer
      June 19, 2018

      Neither does “god willing”

  29. The Calabash
    June 18, 2018

    Why this fixation on direct flights? There are not directs flights to other Caribbean and intra US and Canadian destinations, with much larger populations and economy.
    The economics of it is simply not there. We are trying to put the cart before horse. Let’s work on building a stronger nation. How about a massive immigration plan, aimed at adding 10k more Dominicans annually?

    • I am mine own
      June 18, 2018

      It would be beneficial to students at Ross and to their families if there were direct flights from Miami to Dominica. I’m willing to bet that more Americans would visit Dominica if transit time was less than 18 hours.

      • Paul Rossnof
        June 20, 2018

        Students at Ross and their families?? Which students, which families. Ross isn’t coming back and that’s a fact. The board of directors of Ross stayed in Dominica a few month ago to speak to Skerrit. Guess who missed the meeting citing some more important business he had to attend to. You see now how important Ross is to the regime…

    • Manti Poe
      June 19, 2018

      You’re so right. What is needed is reliable and timely connections from the neighbouring islands. Dominica cannot sustain a new airport, I’ll not even call it an international airport.

      • Toto
        June 19, 2018

        Of course we can, the P.M. said so, as long as he can get a couple of containers we will be in business.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 19, 2018

        You are a fool also!

        Look around you, and ask why all the other islands in the Caribbean are much more prosperous, and much more developed than your backwards Dominica. If you look carefully you will find that their International Airport is the Backbone of their economy.

        It is stupid for anyone to talk about tourism in a country, and not prepared to invest in an International Airport, the last nation in the Caribbean to learn how vital it is to the economy of their country is the people of St. Vincent. I do not know when ignorant scum of the earth people like you will learn!

        The lack of progress,  prosperity and backwardness in a country, is a curse, people like you are curse! I will state again one of the reasons I d not contribute financially to help in times of disasters is because of fools like you who like depending on hands out rather than employment opportunities from a developed Dominica.

        Talking fart yells nothing significant! 

    • Man bites dogs
      June 19, 2018

      Hay Calabash, Your comments or questions tells me you are a bloody idiot what makes you think an aircraft would be flying from the US to Dominica only to fly back to the USA only??My God i can see why Linton can easily pulled the wool over you idiots eyes.

      • viewsexpressed
        June 20, 2018

        Man, you are biting dogs again. 14 readers has abandoned your thoughts and lack of reason dealing with the bigger picture. so far only one has ticked you, and I bet it came from you. Nice try, you and your failed corrupt Labour Party. Over 15 years talking BS of an independent airport all we see happening is bobol within the camp. You know the camp , tell us.

      • Neville
        June 25, 2018

        Oh look who’s talking! The blindest supporter of Skerrit comes on here and talks about wool over your eyes. You are a useless beggar if I’ve ever seen one.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      June 19, 2018

      You see people like you that sot bit of trash; I do not support the rubbish Man bite Dog writes, but but I have to support him and call you a bloody idiot also!

      Read you composition, and perhaps you will discover how  stupid you are! Are you in the twenty-first century, or are you under some rock, or living in a crab hole in the common era CE?

      Where do people like you come from?

      As I said before, a computer, nor a smart phone cannot educate a stupid dunce person, all it will do is expose the stupidity of someone like you, it a shame that there are people as stupid as you are, who does not know you are stupid! Try and get an education; one can self-educate if the learn to read properly, and understand.

       A Calabash is something that is dried and shallow before it is cut into two, that is what primitive bush people ate from in the bush in the CE!

  30. Prof
    June 18, 2018

    Just like de airport that getting built every 5 years when elections getting close. Then again I doe blame you…. as long as these fools keeps swallowing this imaginary soup then I say keep feeding it to them. Well done sir!!

  31. AP George
    June 18, 2018

    “Fingers crossed”…. that gave it away. OK, the government can’t even finish that Morrocan hotel in Portsmouth, so they want to guarantee flights. What airline? How much are they willing to subsidize, again – $12million? “Fingers Crossed”… that’s a mighty solid plan, eh?
    Seems these guys run out of ideas to run a gov’t. As a businessman, he should know better. This kinda non-sense, even though you subsidize it, is not sustainable. They need to build capacity and demand in the tourism stock first. Seems there is only one sector in Dominica… the public sector. Communism at it’s worst.

  32. Dominica
    June 18, 2018

    Same thing was said in 2013, honestly Robbie do you not have shame. What has happened to Dominicans has behooved me, it is sickening!

  33. Man bite dogs
    June 18, 2018

    Look at them like dirty little monsters every time the government comes up with a new idea those nasty idiotic criminals ratbags along with that secondary useless lazy opposition leader with no real sense of direction is trying to destroy everything, One of their supporter always on DNO writing crap each day leaves in California, said i would never give Dominica a penny next that same Dominican from Wesley said i have money to invest but will not invest in Dominica, because dominica is the poorest island in the Caribbean, now anyone could tell this guy is useless dated and utterly ridiculously stupid and what he’s not telling us he has not got a dry ****to invest in Dominica, that man is a dead wood drifter. And every day he comes on DNO bad mouthing my Prime minister Dr Skerrit.

    • Sheekaree
      June 18, 2018

      A new idea?? Please give us your definition of the word new please because apparently it’s meaning has changed.

      • viewsexpressed
        June 20, 2018

        Sheekaree……you are asking a blind failed loyalist, ignorant and bind to how a real government to answer you questions he knows not off, but reagitate (vomit) the nonsense failed Skerrit and his corrupt Labour bunch of idiots now nothing of development. They are trying hard to prove themselves of something, but they keep failing miserable.

        Man not only bites dogs but has been biting himself now for years. Just to update you with your silly comments and thoughts, your negative ratings have risen to 60, and only you, your brother cousin etc gave you a Like and its only “8”….only. Shame on you. Man, stop biting dogs and wake up, be a genuine Dominica campaigning for decency inn Politics, Stop biting dirty dogs within your cam..woof…woof…woof.. Ouch

  34. Patriotic dominican
    June 18, 2018

    Tell your prime minister to build the international airpory.tjats what we need.

  35. fool yourself still
    June 18, 2018

    sounds like they are planning for an election soon. Dominicans doh tired fall for the same trick, right before an election the ruling government will tell its citizens how direct flights from the U.S will be possible soon. There will be news of a new airline to start, then the government says the international airport will soon be built, funds have already been secured, a feasibility study has already been conducted, construction to begin soon, etc. Then 5 years later we are back in the same position, no direct flights, no international airport, nothing. So fool urself still. How a plane going to fly from FL to DA with no international airport, what will the size of the plane be? our runway is already too short for the planes we have coming in but we plan on having jets land on that same runway. Once again fool urself still.

  36. Dave
    June 18, 2018

    A promise is a comfort to a fool. 8-O

  37. Shaka Zulu
    June 18, 2018

    God’s willing, this year, fingers crossed, we will have a direct flight from Florida to Dominica,” he stated. In the mean time why not bury a toy plane under the runway in the middle of the night, throw some chicken blood on it and tie a braid of hair from Orville Wright hair. That is what ignorant uneducated people know best and that tree in DA overloaded.

    Mr. Tongue there is a process which needs to take place and i would like to ask what part of process are you to make that announcement. Fingers crossed and God willing means you not sure of one darn thing. I would expect to hear ; Dominica has been working on direct flights fromm Miami. We have recieved written agreement from braindrain Airlines and in process of meeting all FAA requirements. The government is currently putting these requirements in place and will be done by general election. Flights will begin once all systems are in place and passed. At least that i would buy.

    • Shaka Zulu
      June 18, 2018

      Additionally are you confirming the past few times it was announced were elextion gimmicks? We knew it was but just nice to see you admit.

  38. June 18, 2018

    Yes, and to the moon and back :-D :-D :-D

  39. Neville
    June 18, 2018

    … and again they coming up with this BS. “God’s willing, this year, fingers crossed, we will have a direct flight from Florida to Dominica,” Tonge stated. Now I wonder what kind of talk is this from a government minister. More pie in the sky from a useless bunch of people headed by an even more useless one. Viva Dominica.

  40. Bring our parrots back.
    June 18, 2018

    Tongue Airlines will be profitable, all the 737 jets will be full every day in both directions.

    • anonymous2
      June 19, 2018

      Or maybe ‘Parrot Airlines.’

  41. waypapa
    June 18, 2018

    Which airline? When, How? Is talk like causing people not to respect you sir. Come back when you have some thing concrete.

  42. Anonymous
    June 18, 2018

    And which airline will operate that flight Robbie, at what frequency, with what equipment and at what cost to us, the traveller? I am sorry to be so sceptical but without these details I can not even begin to believe that this is just not a wet dream. So many promises have been made in the past, I have lost faith in our government.

  43. Sams
    June 18, 2018

    Tongue I’m tired of hearing that same **** song for years your trying to fool yourself not people leaving in states they are not fools so sing your song for you and your marons

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