Dominica says it is willing to forge relationships with low-budget airline REDjet, to assist its tourism industry.
The new airline would help increase arrivals to the island, Tourism Minister Ian Douglas has said.
“Our tourism industry depends in large measure on the amount of airlift we can get into Dominica so any airline that would be willing to help us with bringing persons into Dominica, we would welcome that,” he said.
Douglas pointed out that airlift is a key factor in the development of Caribbean tourism and “for bringing persons outside of the Caribbean into the region, and for intra-regional travel”.
The privately owned REDjet first attempted to start operations at Jamaica’s Norman Manley International Airport but denied permission. It is now based at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados.
The airline says regional integration is at the forefront of its strategy, opening doors to more people at lower fares.
Last week Ian Burns, REDjet’s Chief Executive Officer, announced that the air carrier had made a profit on the Guyana to Barbados route, three months after its launching.
Douglas has welcomed the news.
Specifications
MD-81 MD-82 /
MD-88 MD-83 MD-87
Cockpit crew Two
Seating capacity,
typical 172 (1-class)
155 (2 class) 139 (1-class)
130 (2 class)
Length 147 ft 8 in (45.01 m) 130 ft 4 in (39.73 m)
Wingspan 107 ft 8 in (32.82 m)
Wing area 1,209 sq ft (112.3 m2)
Tail height 29 ft 7 in (9.02 m) 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m)
Fuselage width 11 ft (3.35 m)
Cargo capacity 1,253 cu ft (35.5 m3) 1,103 cu ft (31.2 m3) 937 cu ft (26.5 m3)
Empty weight 77,900 lb (35,300 kg) 78,000 lb (35,400 kg) 79,700 lb (36,200 kg) 73,300 lb (33,200 kg)
Maximum take-off weight
(MTOW) 140,000 lb (63,500 kg) 149,500 lb (67,800 kg) 160,000 lb (72,600 kg) 140,000 lb (63,500 kg)
Cruising speed Mach 0.76 (504 mph, 811 km/h)
Maximum range,
fully loaded 1,570 nmi (2,910 km; 1,810 mi) 2,050 nmi (3,800 km; 2,360 mi) 2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) 2,370 nmi (4,390 km; 2,730 mi)
Runway length
requirement 5,000 ft (1,500 m) dry, or
5,700 ft (1,700 m) for wet runway
Fuel capacity 5,850 US gal (22,100 L) 5,850 US gal (22,100 L) 7,000 US gal (26,000 L) 5,840 US gal (22,100 L)
Engines (×2) Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series
Thrust (×2) 18,500–21,000 lbf (82–93 kN)
Sources: Official MD-80 specifications,[39] MD-80 Airport report[40]
McDonnell Douglas MD-82
Homepage: http://www.mdc.com
No. Of Engines: 2
Aircraft Type: Jet
Passenger Capacity (Max): 172
Passenger Capacity (Min): 137
Range (in Miles): 3,260
Cruising Speed (MPH): 576
Wingspan: 107
Length: 147
Height: 29
Takeoff Weight (in Lbs): 140,000
Cabin Type: pressurized
More than 1,100 MD-80s have been delivered since it entered service in 1980. It features commercial aviation’s first digital flight guidance system and is available in five models: The MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, MD-88, MD-Super 80, and the smaller MD-87.
McDonnell Douglas designs and produces a variety of aerospace and defense products. It is one of the world’s largest space and defense contractors and the third largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft. The corporation was created in 1967 with the merger of the McDonnell Company of St. Louis and the Douglas Aircraft Company of Southern California. Located in Long Beach, the Douglas Aircraft Company is the commercial aircraft componant of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. It was founded in 1920 by Donald W. Douglas, and has since delivered more than 45,000 aircraft, including the long line of Douglas Commercial (DC) and McDonnell Douglas (MD) models. The Douglas Aircraft Company employs approximately 11,000 people.
Is the arrival of redjet the same as the arrival of night flights that was suppose to be so profitable for everybody in the tourism industry and dominica in general???
Or is that our people are so gullible and is suffering from amnesia(memory lost) that our politicians make statements willfully knowing that our people will soon forget about it???
I PITY THE FOOLS…
dno it have people that commenting on all report. i am a dominican and when its my counsen i will talk.
Can someone please let me know the type of aircraft that fly in all them idiots from from New Jersey to vote in the 2009 general election? From what I heard they were much larger aircraft than the MD80. The MD80 will be able to land at Melville hall without any problems. Before we sit here and call each other names. let us hear from the aviation experts and listen to what they have to say. Its time for liat to compete for our business. I have flew into much smaller airport in the US on MD80. Its a good move Mr Douglas.
Remember, it takes a bigger idiot to know one
Redjet operate MD82 aircraft (ex American airline) in a 149 passenger (all-economy) and 150 passenger (16 first, 124 economy) configuration. It has two engines and is not at all like the Amerijet Boeing 727, which has three engines. Its nearest rivals would be the Boeing Classic, 737-300 and the Airbus 320. Yes, it can operate from Melville Hall as can the 737 (Venezuelan airline Estelar have done so!). I think the problem is that we can not offer enough passengers to fill a flight on a regular basis. Most of the comments regarding Melville Hall are valid. You have to pass outside to go from the check-in to the departure area. There is no-duty free facility and there are no food or beverages available in the departure lounge. The fact that you have to pay your departure tax at a a separate counter is bizarre and a retrograde step. The new restaurant is not sufficiently cooled and concentrated on local “lunch” food only last time I checked (its offering should be more “international”). And please, can we move the booth that collects “parking” fees to where it properly belongs, at the entrance of the car park itself and institute a proper, accountable ticket issuing mechanism. The present one of hand-issued, written tickets is not only archaic but open to abuse.
” i would strongly recommend a Barbados/Dominica/St. Maarten/Jamaica/St.Maarten/Dominica/Barbados route…” In your dreams, Saporzay. First, RedJet only has two aircraft and they have not mentioned any plans to buy more. Secondly, they have said that they intend to do point to point travel since the several landings and takeoffs that Liat does makes the flights more expensive (landing charges, fuel, etc).
Thirdly, there is not much difference in fares. The US$9.99 is nothing more than a marketing ploy. They will have four or five seats at that fare, but most passengers will pay about as much as Liat. I did a comparison in fares between Barbados and Guyana, flying our and in on the same day. The difference was $12.00. I’ve also done a comparison on flights from Barbados to Trinidad return for today and tomorrow (Liat was fully booked today) and the difference is $98.00. Government taxes for this flight, by the way amount to US$105.00.
So we all fell for the $9.99 gimmick without first checking.
I am no Liat fan, but I’d rather take my chances with them because they have an outstanding safety record, they give me more options (Redjet offers one flight in and one flight out and does not fly everyday).
I hope you publish this admin, since you make a habit of refusing to publish my contributions which are never in poor taste, never defamatory and always seek to shed light on certain issues
why can’t we do like SVG start building an international airport??? SVG is becoming so develop…
No, SVG is sinking in debt carrying that elephant on their back. Talk to people in th eknow from SVG and you will get the real story about this airport.
When it all completed, compare the actual cost and times lines th what they had projected. This project is a total mess.
Imagine that size plane landing into Dominica!!!
A cargo plane that size can land like the Amerijet aircraft which has at most 6 persons on the aircraft – two pilots and 4 crew members. Everything else is cargo that well strap down.
I doubt such plane that size can take off and land with 200 passengers and crew and freight. If it can more power to Dominica and the investment made into the airport – which by the way is so limited and already calling for additional expansion.
Immigration upon entering is very small and baggage and customs is what canefield should have been!!!
The departure lounge and the area where one has to remove their shoes and pass their luggage through the x-ray machine is an insult to passengers leaving Dominica.
I mean so much land. The terminal could have been designed like the one in St. Kitts that is so much more functional.
The checking area is the only impressive area of the terminal building – the place where you go to Liat and American eagle.
If we add a steel frame to the back of the terminal facing the river we can have much more space. All vehicles will still have access to the road as is but above the vehicles will have that expanded floor space and to access it would be escalators from the ground floor and an elevator for the VIP departure lounge and when passengers are to board the aircraft or we strive for the telescopic corridors that lead to the aircraft door.
That way the entire ground floor will be made available for airlines, x-ray machines, and installation of kiosk, e-ticketing terminals.
The first floor would be where all the action/attraction and excitement would be – departure lounge, duty free shopping malls, restaurants, ATMs, Currency Exchange cashers, internet hot spots, and other conveniences.
As the airport gets busier , you gradually introduce elevated parking .
an md-80 needs about 5,000 ft of runway to takeoff and land and melville hall has a little more than that and i highly doubt that there will be a FULL flight to dominica.but yes they should update the airport better
Dominicans know everything from the look of comments here. All I am hearing is that redjet cannot land. Question: Is it oy one type of aircraft that have ever been mad in the world? Have you all ever heard of fleets? Different styles and types of aircrafts? So you all think that aa, ba, virgin only have 747s? Nope! They have smaller crafts that do Britain only, France only and different states in America only. So please…
Oh and sorry for the spelling mistakes too
THIS PLANE IS THE SAME SIZE AS AMERIJET BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE THE SAME SPECIALISED LANDING GEAR FOR SHORT RUNWAYS AS AMERIJET
That can move >>>>>> this plane is the same size as amerijet what make u dcans think it can’t land?
The difference is that Amerijet transports cargo while red Jet transports Passengers (human cargo). The liability is much different.
Is Ian an does he know what type of aircraft is operated by REdjet and the required runway length for take of and landing of these aircraft?????????
these guys need to get informed before making these useless statements to the public.
P.S…..where is the night flights promised by LIAT….was that another BLUFF!!!!
stop bein negative ur dam idiot talk something constructive i personally know u have been a negative person since in ur mothers womb and u still grew up to be negative start bein positive ur fool blown idiot next time u say anything negative on dno i will put ur full name so every one will know who is islander once again your dam idiot you must have been the whore of revelation chapter 17verse 3 to12 ur dam catholic people like u all that has the world in so much trouble look at was those priest doin straight buggery
BONDIAY!!! SOMEBODY, CALL DR. BENJAMIN FOR “WELLS, ” QUICK!!! HURRY!
Reggie you right that comment sounds psychotic!!! Ha ha ha ha
lol @ Ian Douglas. Mr is not even aware that the MD-82 CANNOT land in Melville Hall. The runway at the George F.L Charles airport in St Lucia is much longer than ours in Dominica and REDjet is not even considering landing at the airport. Rather, they will be utilizing the international airport at SLU.
Ian Douglas go do your homework.
you talk so much but know, but know so little. This site has alot of MAMA LOOKS, just talk n not a thing to show for it. anything someone try to do in Dominica you people got so much to SAY, but yet know JACK. I know that for a fact, so much talk an you guys worht not a f**k. How many size of plane do RedJet have on thier fleet ?
we need an international airport.melvillehall cannot handle big aircraft.
we will land on your long back ur face will be the terminal
some people cannot handle the truth that is why they give you thumbs down. I agree with your assessment!!!
.these planes cannot fly to dominica.dominica need an international airport.
get real Dominicans Red Jet eh coming. All you cannot even handle Dash -8 night landing. The jet will over shoot the freaking runway
I think Ian’s comments on welcoming REDJET to Dominica…is a step in the right direction…we need air access. The aircraft that RedJet is operating..CAN DEFINITELY LAND AT MELVILLE HALL…as someone who has spent over 25 years in the airline industry, i would strongly recommend a Barbados/Dominica/St. Maarten/Jamaica/St.Maarten/Dominica/Barbados route. This will give visitors and Dominicans two International Hubs to connect – St. Maarten and Barbados – 2 flights AM and PM per day. St. Maarten has more international flights than Antigua…and with a state of the art terminal building, its an easier airport to transit through.
Let’s start talking to REDJET NOW!!!!
But do you think they would tailor their schedule based on what is best for Dominica or what is best for the airline overall. I understand, if you can arrange your schedule to make it most convenient for your passengers, you will attract more traffic. But I dont know if Dominica would be the driver of that traffic.
very contributing well said
kick liat off to damn xpensive it is cheaper to go to miami than to fly to antigua
very positive ian
YEAH YOU RIGHT “SAPOZAY.” IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION…
RIGHT INTO D SEE OUTSIDE OF MELLEVILL HALL AIRPORT.
Lol. Hope they can swim
Great news!!! RED JET’s arrival to Dominica will be a blessing, not for tourist only, for all Dominican travelers.
Well done!!! RED JET is coming at last! What good news, not just for tourists, but for Dominican travelers.
Oh gosh, RED JEt cannot even get off the ground, but we are throwing our idle talk around… lets get NIGHT landing up and running first, how long has that been. A mouthful of TALK TALK TALK, and no actions…….
Spare me the hot air…. big plans…R T RD!!!!
you really can make stupid comments — little do u know redjet is flying sakway sot they made flights recently into trinidad and are so far booked up for scheduled flights actually they fully booked for Rhianna So go and buy a ticket smh i forget only Dominica that not on the route http://www.flyredjet.com/en they fly between Guyana and Trinidad and Barbados at the moment.
WHERE IS IT GOING TO LAND, PORTSMOUTH?
AND WHO IS IT GOING TO BRING?
CHINESE?
Damn Goat
HA! FUNNY LOL
Come on Reggie….grow up. Your’e boring…enough already.
finally competition for liat
http://www.flyredjet.com/en they fly between Guyana and Trinidad and Barbados at the moment.
They also partner with other airlines. maybe THEY can land here.
Looks like a non starter though.
where is liat with the night landing ian and blackmoore
The type of planes presently in their fleet cannot land at Melville Hall
Yes it can it is an MD-80 Which is smaller than an B727 which currently lands in Dominca on a regular basis. It is called Amerijet.
There are also several types of jets that can currently land in Melville Hall. A319, A321, b737 and other times of medium to to short haul jets. Not because it is a jet does not mean it cannot there are all types of jets built for different purposes. No all jet can travel across the Atlantic either from Dominca/caribbean to Europe.
the requirements for landing a Cargo aircraft versus a Commercial Passenger aircraft is not the same.
Licenses and insurance requirements are different when you are transporting passengers.
the MD-80 aircraft is not a new generation aircraft, which means it needs more runway clearance for landing and take off than the other new generation aircraft like those manufactured by Airbus Industries.
******just adding my 2 cents *********
Anything to break the Liat monopoly.
Can their planes land here though?
One would assume they would consider island like St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada and Antigua ahead of Dominica. They have larger populations with more developed tourism industries than we do.
By all means let them come. LIAT needs some competition to force them to reduce their prices. For too long they have held that monopoly for regional air transportation.
so true just like cable and wireless monopoly has been broken so it liat turn comin wickedness dont last forever
Could someone with knowledge of aircrafts let us know whether the type of aircraft Redjet operates( the McDonnell Douglas MD-82) is capable of landing at Dominica’s Melville Hall airport safely?
Its interesting that they have not even mentioned us in their plan.
It’s early still.
That is because the airline cannot land here. We must get real, commercial passenger airlines of that type will not be permitted due to airline regulations, just ask the ECAA