The covering of an exposed drain and the strengthening of top soil located near the Melville Hall runway are the only two factors preventing the airport from being upgraded into a category three facility.
This is according to Minister responsible for Ports, Rayburn Balckmoore, who said that those issues will be addressed within the next six months.
The minister’s comments came at a special ceremony to mark the inaugural night landing flight last night.
“Where we are at right now in terms of our classifications, we’re at what we call class two which means therefore Dash-8 aircraft and the smaller aircraft can land here at nights. We are striving… to get to the class three category. This means therefore that airlines like 737’s will be able to land in Dominica once we make certain standards in the next six months,” he stated.
“And what are the standards? We were asked for two deferments – that has to do with the covering of the exposed drain or storm drains and then we were told, my dear friends, that adjacent to the runway, the top soil has to be made stronger to withstand the weight of the biggest aircraft. Those are the issues. It has nothing to do with physical obstruction,” he said.
Blackmoore also mentioned another advancement due to take effect from September 23, 2010 at the airport.
“It’s the first time in our history in this country that we are going to see this airport facility upgraded from solely a visual airport to an instrument type airport…. We are going for the first time to have a procedure chart in this airport for planes that are using the global positioning system and those that are not,”
He added: “What we’re doing here now, we are using what we call the radial vectorial approach where we are assisted by the French departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique to lead us to this airstrip… By the 23 of September, when we finalise, hopefully, our procedure chart we will have no use for this radar vectoring approach. So we’re getting there and its takes you to the next level,” he stated.
He is convinced that the possibilities for foreign investment will be endless under this new program as investors will be able to move more freely to and from the island.
we need a proper bridge.
I often wonder why the great dame eugenia did not do wat was recently done at melville hall. Or why the great phillip nassief said any improvement made there would only be useful up to 2010. this is 2010 so that means that this airport is obsolete. The fact is that the labour government went for the easier task. improvement looks good yes but totally inadequate.
@Muslim_Always: wait still lol!
Soon I’ll take a trip to the middle east a lot easier
@natureislander: Kool post however these days dogs like people have yellowing of the teeth.
Just a teezer natureislander. Pigeons eating out of gabage cans goat roaming the streets and eating meat from bins.
@marcia: Why some of you people like that, you guys talking like these guys are OMNI PRESENT that they must see every detail, we are talking about the Airport here. Please if you cannot atleast say thanks for the accomplishment soo far, it is best to keep silent and give your request in a more respectable manner.
@DA massive: Probably he don’t understand the categories….lol but we know what he means.
COME ON PEOPLE WE A TALKING ABOUT DOMINICA AND LARGER AMOUNT OF PASSENGERS AT THE AIRPORT AND BOEING 737 WE ALL NO THAT EVEN IF A BOEING 737 757 797 IS TO COME TO DOMINICA HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ON THE FLIGHT BE GREATFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE AND HOPE WE WILL DO BETTER SOME DAY NEVER IN LIFE DID A PLANE LAND IN DOMINICA AT NIGHT WE NOW HAVE THAT AND AGAIN AM NOT INTO POLITICS BUT THE PM IS TRYING AND I AM GREAT FUL I TRAVEL ALL THE TIME AND IF NIGHT LANDING IS HERE I CAN DONE WORK GET TO ANTIGUA OR SXM AND BE HOME ON THE RED EYE HATE THE DOG BUT TELL IT THE TEETH WHITE
stoney
the private sector u saing that going down the agri + tourism thank eddison and the uwp for that.
mr minister if we are a category 3 airport we wont have commercial flights.you probly meant cat 1.we are currently cat 2 and have to upgrade to cat 1 not 3.rest assure if we every go to cat 3 liat cannot operate flights into any US ports,AA will not be able to ops into Dom.please get it right mr minister.im assuming it was a slip of the tongue.
with all ye improvement, wat about the salt pond at the end of the runway. Is it fair for a man to spend 100,000 d0llers on a vevicle, pay $ 15,000 VAT, pay license and insurance, just to have his investment driving through sea water on an almost daily basis? I want the PM and blaclmore to drive there vevicles there. Wat If i were to drive goverments vehicles through that p0nd what would they say. Address that before you praise a sprouse goose. you arean insult to wesley people who whve to travel through sea water all the time.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DOMINICA
ONE STEP AT A TIME ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN ONE DAY.
THANK GOD FOR DOMINICA
TOGETHER WE MUST
In my opinion it’s too far from Roseau, the capital.
dont be fooled…..melville hall wont bear any fruits this regime is just trying to distract the corruptions issues that plage the island….
again everything this DLP has tried all the sectors are still down.agri, tourism etc…
simple too much small talk which keeps their base who are totaly uniformed on issues!
think we have kids doing big men work…..time will show and tell that DLP has crippled this island totaly……..more hard times coming from Labour!!
Dominicans,please be positive and thankful for these developments.The government is obviously trying,yes we have questions,comments etc but stop this constant criticism of the government.I’m not into politics but development regardless of who brings it.We must have our peoples interest at heart first as we don’t want to sell=out for development but we do need foreign investment.This airport project is definitely a step in the right direction,we need to at least give it a chance and allow it to be finalized before we cast judgment on it.
I am happy to know that we have night landing but the category of an airport is based on the largest passenger aircraft landing and taking off from that particular airport. So far American eagle is the largest landing and taking off from Mhall so thats why its at a category 2. Mr Blackmore please do what it takes to get to a category 3 or 5 . Axa which is 35 square miles has a cat 5 airport. take note
sorry to say i came to DA and didnt even realize the change on the airport.Someone said to me do u realize our airport, i say they need to do sometin then the person say, all this work done u didnt notice. i realy didnt, i personaly feel the gov could have done better than that. its not attractive at all.first airport that dont have no food or souvineers.plz do someting to lift up the place airport long and borrin.
WHY WASNT THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE PLANE???
HE JOINED THE OTHERS ON THEIR WAY FROM THE PLANE
These are nice improvements, especially the technological advancements. However, if there were plans for 737 aircrafts to land at Melville Hall, both the arrival and departure lounges are too small to accomodate larger passenger numbers.
While I must congratulate the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica on the upgrading of the Melville Airport to include night landing, and while it is 50 years late, it’s here. It’s relevance may be an issue…but it will take care of night landing for LIAT and WINAIR for now… So CONGRATULATIONS are in effect.
I am one of those persons who have never doubted the capacity for Dominica to accommodate night landing but, at this juncture, I wish to lament the fact that in 2010 we still do not have direct air access to and from North America and Europe. So night landing is good, most definitely, but I want the GOCD to mandate the air access commttee, if there is one, to begin to look at the development of an INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. I recall the Late Prime Minister Roosevelt Douglas coining with the Buy Operate Transfer (BOT) formula to enable the island to construct an international airport for the island. I believe that with the rebound in global economic activity expected over the next few years, it is an opportune time for the GOCD to put the necessary machinery in place to respond to the imminent need for international air access, unless of course if we do not plan to move to the next level of competitiveness.
Ofcourse what ever approach we take it must be responsibly bearing in mind the fragility of our environment…cheers
I believe that given the increasing trend in sustainable travel and tourism Dominica will see an increased interest in holidays here if we build an airport capable of accommodating direct flights from North America and Europe. Without direct air access our island’s tourism potential will continue to be marginalized.
God speed minister, and stay focus. The use of IFR is a marked improvement for the airport. You guys are doing good.
Wow this is real progress!
Halay horay Horay halay bravo! what old talk is this about level three…. Pleaassseee sir! If level two toook so sos much time, welll this talk about level threee willll take many many years . It is true that it is it brick after brick that a house is built but come on that level threee or phase three is emotionalism and another day of old talk. Love ma country and love good governance – when the government does well i applaud them on the behalf of the people – but this third level thing is old talk for the time being. we got so many things to fix up instead of tryin to deal with this airport stufff…. Why did not u all look seriously at the way the new terminals and so forth were constructed? Its one of the most not to attractive airport projects in the region..
Oh yes!!11! third level means more diging and so forth… and can someone remind me of the time level tooook to be completed. All them false opening dates and so forth is a sign of bad leadership skills – talkin out of turn…. so come good with the third levelll. my beard is already getting grey- level three is no place for old men like me…………………….
Peace and best wishes …….. And break down all them big word please so that the pooor and illiterate can understand what is being said….
About time Dominica was making some head way with this so important aspect of our beautiful island’s development and I say let’s all continue to pray for that measures and procedures to be put in place and the Health and Safety of the airport is also of the uptimum importance.
Best wishes for the rest of the various phases of that project, as Dominica so desperately needs this.
Did Blackmore get wind that the only impedimant to foreign investment was night landing? These fellas doh tired pull a fast one on the Dominican people?
Just about every island has night landing and most have an international airport. If that was a key criteria, their economies would be booming. Try again minister.
Keep going DA. I am proud.
Blackmoore where are you going to put the 737 passengers, The departure point at the airport is an embarassment. A narrow door to immigration and unto security check right in your face when you are departing, So much money spent on upgrading and little consideration given to the departure area. That was a big mistake. Nothing can be done now to imrpove this area. The luggage area is too cramped. The departure waiting area is also too cramped. Ok I agree it is ok for LIAT and Eagle but now you speaking of 737 which is a totally different ball game.
By the way dream of international airport will be laid to rest once we get 737 into Melville Hall. Mark my word.
please make it as safe as possible. thanks for the work done so far
With our limited financial Resources and difficult terain we are trying, and God will See us Through. what ever you all have planned will come, proud to be a Dominican
One step at a time. Rome wasn’t built in one day. I am proud that things are happening in my beloved country. Let us continue the development, bit by bit.