The uncommon event of a plane landing at the Melville Hall airport at night may soon be regarded as just another routine operation as night landing has been approved for that airport.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LIAT Brian Challenger believes that this service is a significant development for the airline as it will extend the company’s services to Dominica.
Challenger, in an interview with Elisa Graham of the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Services (ABS) News during a Basic Journalism Training Workshop in St. Martin on Wednesday, welcomed the initiative as he believes it will also lessen disruptions within LIAT’s network.
The CEO added that the new service would also provide more space for the airline to operate here. “We really look forward to the night landing into Dominica,” he stated.
While Challenger made these points yesterday, Acting Director General of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) Donald McPhail today confirmed that night landing had been approved and will come in three phases.
According to McPhail, the government is expected to receive the official approval today. This comes as a result of a series of test flights within the past weeks.
In recent times, members of the opposition and others have criticised the government for their inability to materialise the project which was promised to have been completed by the end of 2009; under a EC$110 million airport modernisation project.
In his address during a cabinet swearing-in ceremony following the 2009 general elections, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit had promised that night landing services would be launched in a matter of weeks.
Minister for Public Works and Ports Rayburn Blackmoore had later announced in April that the night flights would have begun in May this year.
@nature: OK, Kool. You’re on……
Mr.CEO, all i am kindly asking for Sir, Is that you would consider making a Dominican Captain and co-pilot, or two Dominica Capitains of LIAT fleet, fly-in the inaugural night landing flight to Dominica on that history making night.
Let a Dominican or two Dominicans land that plane at Melville Hall Airport on that particular history making night.I know,that you have a very brilliant young Captain from Dominica,who in all likelihood,is one of the best of all your Pilots….Precisely so….
Oh,yes, of course,absolutely,if you can throw in a flight attendant from Dominica, that would be a plus….PLEASE!!!!.
Yep,….i do believe in Nationalism…..I’m a Nationalist!!!!…..I am quite sure you are too.
All the best to you……and……
Peace profound!!
Politics sells news and in return advertisements. STOP hating and enjoy the free news while it lasts. Gosh man, typical Dom in cans
I would have to agree with Homeboy, passingthru and Anonymous. The inclusion of actions or opinions of members of the opposition are immaterial to the story at hand. This is supposed to be about The opinion of LIAT CEO , Brian Challenger. On the other hand the inclusion may simply be a ploy to bait the usual suspects to regurgitate the customary and tiresome political rants. Just a thought!
The President of the Uwp says that the labor party gov`t didn`t go along with the proposed int`l airport that the Uwp was about to build and that upgrading of melville hall airport was a waste of money (that will be left to see). Apart from the court`s decision to have him compensate the late Dame Mary (god rest her soul) for bugging allegations, he has yet to deny that he was instrumental in forfeiting the clearing and construction of the runway by the u.s military which would have pave the way for our int`l airport in the 1980`s.
Thanks LIAT, YOU HAVE OPENED THE WAY FOR MANY AIRLINES TO COME TO DOMINICA, YOU HAVE PROVEN TO BE OUR NUMBER ONE CARRIER.
Politics is the life-blood of Dominica. Nothing in Dominica is apolitical. When you have a country where government plays such a significant part of the daily lives of the people, politics is what you get.
@nature: Now, here’s a positive attitude, with thinking people like ‘nature’ our nation will have a bright future.
Thank you Pm Skerrit. Let the detractors loose sleeep over how they will get you out of ofice. just keep working for all of us. May God continue to bless you abundantly.
we should be very happy and pray that it will be a success for the country politic or not it has come and i am happy for dominica if they need voluntee i wll be first of the list to take a flight
The journalist should say emphasise the importance of Dominica now more than ever to the airline industry as Dominicans, fly regularly to do business and pleasure. Stop the foolishness about political partisan crap!!!!!! Lève Domnichen..
@Anonymous: I agree with you100%.
Gosh does majority of articles written on here have to include something political? The focus is on how night landing is significant to the airline. Where does what the opposition criticise and all that come into the article. Come on journalist stick to the subject at hand.
Thank you for making this a reality. I did not think that it would have been a reality in my lifetime.
Next stop: Funding for hotels in the immediate area.
Why cant an article be placed on here without having to politicize it. The article is about how significant night landing is to liat but it just had to include what the opposition criticize and bla bla bla. Can’t you journalist just stick to the subject being discussed.