PM reveals date for groundbreaking ceremony of international airport

The airport construction site, photo credit: International Airport Development Project

The Government of Dominica has set a date for the groundbreaking of the much-anticipated International Airport, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit revealed during a contract signing ceremony for the River Defense Wall at Colihaut on Friday.

“We are building an international airport,” he said. “ By the way I am inviting everybody to the official groundbreaking on November 9, 2024,” he revealed. “I decided to delay the groundbreaking because you know the groundbreaking is supposed to be done before you start work.”

According to him, every government in the history of Dominica, both pre and post-independence has made an international airport the center of their development plan.

He added that Dominicans were therefore weary of politicians, governments, and parties who promised to build an international airport.

“I said people will have hesitation so don’t go and break ground just start,” Mr. Skerrit explained. “Let us bring it to a point where you can see the runway,” he stated. “We can see the alignment of the runway and so we are inviting all Dominicans.”

Skerrit believes that this is a national project, “and just imagine what is happening by way of night landing, by way of the extension of the runway at Douglas-Charles, just imagine what the international airport will bring to Dominica.”

A one billion dollar contract between the Government of Dominica and Montreal Management Consultant Establishment (MMCE) was signed on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, signaling the official commencement of the construction of the highly anticipated international airport.

The contract signing which took place on June 9, 2021, at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium, fulfilled a long-awaited dream held in the hearts of citizens for over 50 years.

At the time, the prime minister expressed gratitude to the people of Wesley, Woodford Hill, and Palm Tree who facilitated the construction of the airport in their communities and vowed to the citizens of Dominica, at home and abroad, that nothing and no one would stop his government from building the international airport.

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22 Comments

  1. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    October 18, 2024

    Another all-fools day joke if one asked me!
    For over five years, they claimed that they started building International Airport. Roosevelt took away people’s homes and land talking about eminent domain, and simply gave them to Chinese, to this day Roosevelt has not paid some people for their property! All they did in about five years or more is move dirt from one place to another!
    Recently that liar McIntyre, came out talking fart saying how Airport is about to finish ahead of schedule!
    How can this be; how can a project finish ahead of schedule it’s not started yet. As they are only now proposing a ground breaking ceremony?
    Are Dominicans that gullible?
    Whatever it is or people seem to be under some demonic influence perpetrated on them by Roosevelt Skerrit!

  2. Ibo France
    October 14, 2024

    The administration reminds me very much of the toddler stage of life. The pencil and a sheet of paper a toddler will draw a stick-man. The present administration is a STICK-MAN government.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 2
    • October 14, 2024

      Brother, you have to crawl before you walk, stupid. Get a life, Ibo. Go feed some cows in the meadow.

  3. Ibo France
    October 14, 2024

    Every tie I read this head is I can’t help but laugh uncontrollably. What a daft set of people we have running government! This is a cart before the horse government. Only in Dominica comedy and governance are Siamese twins.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 3
    • October 14, 2024

      You said it, not me. You are uncontrollably laughing at yourself, your big fool.

  4. Dom-in-cans
    October 13, 2024

    Is either Dom-in-cans doltish, brain washed, demonized or just too foolish to allow Skerrit to fool them like that with international airport. All you really believe international airport coming? Stay dreaming still. In what world a country building an international airport airport and no body buying land around the vicinity? Boy if that was real price of land in Wesley, Marigot, Woodfordhill would be so expensive that only foreign investors would buy land. But neither Skerrit, nor his current and past ministers or business partners buying land? All you blind man? When Ross moved to Portsmouth price of land just skyrocketed as people were buying land from Picard to Dublanc to Portsmouth , all the way to Cupuchin to Cottage. So think of an international airport and not even our local greedy Mr Abdullah buying a potion for his mansion or hotel and not even his greedy and corrupt lawyers buying ,

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 2
  5. Puppet Show
    October 13, 2024

    By the way I am inviting everybody to the official groundbreaking on November 9, 2024,” he revealed. “I decided to delay the groundbreaking…”

    The One man government. As a fellow Laborite who is still in conversation with top Laborites I bet you that not one of the clapping ministers knew Skerrit had a date for his so-called groundbreaking gimmick. I can tell you that they all heard that date the same time that announcement was made in Colihault on Friday. So here we go again with the Skerrit show: November 9 airport groundbreaking and a day later, November 10 delegates conference.
    Now concerning airport, please don’t be fooled in believing Skerrit building international airport. He is using this fake airport as an election trap, just as his housing project. So he’s going to call an election in December and by January 25, work will slowdown. Then work will pickup again by January 26 and another election December 2027. Then it will slowdown again and pickup by December 2030, for…

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 2
  6. OneLove
    October 13, 2024

    “According to him, every government in the history of Dominica, both pre and post-independence has made an international airport the center of their development plan.“

    Skerrit is right about that but truth is,, all previous governments had an international airport as center of their development plan because the base was built. We had Ross University with over 1000students, plus faculty and staff, friends and family members constantly coming to visit. But alas! Skerrit forced Ross out at the request of his Chinese masters and that’s why up to today Dominicans have yet to see what is in his MOU with China.
    Apart from Ross, we had a very strong agricultural industry that an international airport would have helped. Again, Skerrit destroyed that. Then we had a good 75,000 people that wanted to stay home. Again Skerrit forced a good 25-40% out. So who is he building international airport for? What is going on in Wesley is nothing more then Chinese base for their own business period

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
    • October 14, 2024

      So the base to build an international Airport was Ross University? What utter rubbish!!!!! With such idiotic opinions Dominica will continue to grow at a snails pace, fortunately such opinions don’t represent the majority.

  7. Hector marie Sr
    October 13, 2024

    I must have missed what the prime minister said .Did he say you will see the runway ? I. Live near what would be the runway if there was one and look over the project and there is nothing to convince one that there is a runaway .There is a hill at Palm tree a hill at bottom Wesley then there what used to bowl spring and and what used to be litches swamp presently being hardened by loads of what looks like rock and cement being hit by a crane dropping something about fifty feet from the air which shakes all houses in the area including my house which scares me .what will be seen are acquired houses and ,some abandoned some still occupied some not yet paid for even half paid .What is interesting is it is three years since this none moving project started but the opening is on November 9th 2004 me tink ahwe better look closer

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
    • Roger Burnett
      October 14, 2024

      One would have thought that the developers of the airport project would have learnt a lesson from the ongoing catastrophe at Antrim (14 years and counting) of the folly of filling and compacting an area of swamp.

  8. October 13, 2024

    ground breaking…the prime minister is testing how stupid his sopporters are…such a brutish man…

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  9. Labour power
    October 13, 2024

    PM should not only have a ground breaking.He should have the date for a massive demonstration outside the office of UWP.Labourites are patiently waiting for that date.

  10. dissident
    October 13, 2024

    world sottttttt
    groundbreaking?????
    this is a media event for a premature general election!
    Skerrit feel threatened!!!!!!!……period……….de airport was promised for 2025 with Geothermal……………….what COLOSSAL FAILURE SKERRIT
    de biggest Chinese investment……..like Skerrit giving China publicity
    next year 2025………no geothermal and no international airport either……..and Chinese will be in both locations!!!!!
    by de time Independence finish dem Chinese will be well positioned

  11. Ibo France
    October 13, 2024

    Is Dominica intellectually barren? How could any sane or sensible person vote for such a colossal dunce knowing he would become prime minister?

    Dominicans deserve the hunger pains, deprivation, dispossession, destitution, austerity conditions that they are experiencing today.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
    • October 14, 2024

      We are intellectually smart why we did not vote for you or Lennox, a school drop-out or Fontaine. Get a life, Ibo.

  12. All Left to Residence Dominicans
    October 13, 2024

    lies again, so election is really coming A second ceremony for the internal airport. I want to see if the residents of Dominica will allow people living and residence in other countries to invade the island on election day, vote and put a government on the residence of Dominica backs. Then leave a go back to there respective country of residence and live the residence of Dominica to suffer the economic depression in Dominica. THIS IS ALL UP TO YOU ALL. NOT UWP, NOT FREEDOM, NOT LENNOX, NOT DR. THOMPSON FOUNTAIN.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 6 Thumb down 4
  13. Timeup
    October 12, 2024

    I know someone who still has a donkey on island, will use it to come to wesley…. to bray

  14. Ibo France
    October 12, 2024

    The region and the world must be laughing at Dominica. Comedy at its best. Dominicans! Are you not embarrassed? Under the stewardship of Roosevelt, the country has become the mental disinfectant of foreigners.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  15. Ibo France
    October 12, 2024

    I always say that Dominica is unique. Where else in the world is there a ground breaking ceremony for the most expensive project in the history of a country, after the project had commenced years before. This only happens in a cartoon movie. This is incontrovertible evidence that the Roosevelt-led regime is a cartoonish government.

    I mean, this is comedy. This is an unserious cabinet of jokers. No wonder Dominica languishes at rock bottom in the OECS.

    Leadership matters! A good leader has the capacity to translate vision into reality. Roosevelt is goalless and that’s the cardinal problem.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 3
    • October 14, 2024

      We are so unique that the tourists call us, Nature Island. St Lucians and the world have called Allen Chastanet, the laughing stock of the world. St Lucians do not want him, do not believe in him. He is a fake white man just as Edward Seaga was a fake black man.

    • October 14, 2024

      @ Ibo France, you getting BLUE VEX, trust me when I say I feel your pain as there is nothing you, Lennox or Edison can do to stop the construction of this airport. According to my sources there is going to be a ground breaking ceremony every month from now until the opening ceremony in 2026…so go get a life.

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