This month, July 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of various governments of Dominica proposing plans for an international airport for the island to accommodate long-distance jet aircraft so as to replace the limitations of Melville Hall which was opened on 23 November 1961. A brief summary of proposals over the last 50 years follows:
1970: In July 1970, Premier Edward Oliver Le Blanc of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) made an agreement with the government of Canada to carry out a study for an international airport at Brantridge, near Pont Cassee in the centre of the island. It proposed that planes would approach from the west over Mahaut and take off to the east over the Castle Bruce valley. Two years of meteorological monitoring at a base at Brantridge from 1971 proved that the level of cloud cover and rainfall would result in the closure of such an airport for several days of the year and even under normal conditions would be difficult for smaller aircraft. Project dropped.
1974: Patrick John took over as Premier and compulsorily acquired some 400 acres in the Woodford Hill area from Geest Industries and other landowners. Barbadian, Sydney Burnette Alleyne, was delegated as agent to seek international investment for an airport on the site. No progress was made and Alleyne was arrested off Martinique with guns destined, he claimed, to overthrow PM Tom Adams in Barbados. The scheme was disbanded.
1977: The government of Venezuela sent a team at the request of Premier John, to survey a site for an airport at Grand Savanna on the west coast. Approach was to be over Macoucherie with take-off over Batalie. Obstructions on approach and cross winds through the mountains caused the project to be rejected.
1979:On February 9, 1979, an agreement was signed with Texan, Don Pierson, Director of Dominica Caribbean Freeport Authority (DCFPA), whereby government would hand over 40 square miles of northern Dominica in return for various investments including a jet airport, backed by sweeping powers. All immigration was to be “subject to the veto power of the DCFPA” … “All imports and exports into and out of – or in transit to or from – the Free Port Area, shall be exempt of all taxes, duties and/or charges.” The agreement was withdrawn a few weeks later in response to political protests and, according to PM John,“appeals from landowners in the area”.
1985: The Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) came to power in 1980 and made a deal with US investor Byron Ellison to develop land at Pointe Ronde on the west coast for tourism and industry, as the Guinness Project. At their request, retired government surveyor, Karol Winski, drafted preliminary drawings for a jet airport running from Picard along the valley behind Glanvillia and exiting at Borne and over Dos Dan. The Guinness Project collapsed and the airport proposal was dropped.
1988: PM Margaret Thatcher of the UK and PM Eugenia Charles of Dominica agreed a British grant of five million pounds for British engineers, Alexander Gibb, to carry out a study of every possible site on the island to come up with the most ideal location. Both Canefield and Melville Hall were dismissed as unsuitable for extension. After examining and doing preliminary drawings of all other potential sites, the optimum location chosen was at Woodford Hill with landing over Hodges, a runway through part of Woodford Hill village and Eden Estate and take off over Bottom Wesley. This provided the most favourable alignment over the sea at both ends and into the prevailing wind. Other sites examined and drawn in the Gibb Report are:
La Plaine: Approach over Boetica, landing at Laronde, take off over Tabery. Site rejected.
Brantridge: Site reassessed from 1971-1972. Rejected
Grand Savanna: A reassessment of the 1977 study. Site rejected.
Pointe Ronde: Site of 1985 revisited. Rejected.
Cabrits: Two alignments were considered here. One of these required extensive land-fill into the sea at Douglas Bay and Prince Rupert’s Bay. Sites rejected.
1989:Because of the extent of Woodford Hill village which would need to be acquired and demolished, and the productive banana lands that would be lost at the prime site chosen by Alexander Gibb, PM Charles requested that the engineers redesign an alternative alignment in the general location. Alexander Gibb came up with the Crompton Point site although it was subject to crosswinds. This was the site that the DFP promoted.
1998: The United Workers Party (UWP) came to power in 1995 and immediately committed itself to international airport construction. The UWP progressed further on their project than any government before or since. A new location behind Wesley running roughly from the Woodford Hill agricultural station to St. Andrew’s High School was surveyed and prepared by consultants Planning and Stanley. Land, including all of Londonderry estate, was purchased. Construction of a replacement school, now the NEC, was commenced. Details of the project were presented to the public at a major gathering at Londonderry in June 1998. However, the UWP lost power in January 2000 and the project was abandoned.
2000: The general election campaign of 2000 featured promises of international airports from all parties. The DFP (Manifesto page:16) and the UWP (Manifesto page:6) promoted their respective sites, while the DLP promised a site at the Cabrits, similar to one of the Alexander Gibb proposals (Manifesto page:10).
2000 – 2020:The DLP was elected to power in 2000. But from 2002 the government was occupied with the necessity of upgrading Melville Hall to maintain accreditation. Then it was consumed with post-Tropical Storm Erika repairs(2015) and further work following Hurricane Maria (2017). Repeated references to an international airport running through Woodford Hill, Eden and Wesley were made from 2013 onwards. There have been changing references and statements on various realignments, acquisition of land, US or Chinese advisors, engineers, and sources of finance during that time. No layout plans or computerized artist impressions have so far been issued to the public.
And that is where the proposals for an international airport stand now, five decades after Premier Leblanc made the first moves towards achieving that goal in 1970.
At a time when most of the free world brake away from China, our reckless PM ties us even closer to them in borrowing more money. The Chinese government can’t be trusted at all. Look at their history regarding human rights! Look at their NEP colonialism – Hongkong, South China Sea, Africa etc. Dominica would be well advised to stay away from them! If we can’t finance the airport in a different way, I’d rather not have one! We need to get rid of Skerrit, he is leading our country into a major catastrophe. How can we trust a PM like that??
Dominica is the Land Of the Lord, but it seems that we are distancing ourselves from our Savior Jesus Christ and paying more attention to the negative politics of opposition forces. These forces want to kill our hope of ever becoming a developed country. We need to pray more and hope even more. We will get there but when. When and how we get there will depend on us, all of us.
Having flown that sector proposed by the late Karol Winski his 1985 plan for a new airport location would be my preferred option. From an aviator’s point of view it has the best alignment with regards to the prevailing wind.
If Dominica had stayed a British colony there would already be an international airport with jet aircraft capability. Now the only way to get an airport is for Skerrit to ask China to annex Dominica and make it a Chinese overseas possession. Or ask Britain to take over Dominica again, but why would they. Gaining independence from Britain was a huge mistake. Dominica would be better off as a colony of Britain.
Don’t be over presumptuous; Hong Kong was a British Territory which they seed to China a few years ago; ever since what do you see.
If you are not aware, it is chaos and entropy in Hung Kong; police and army brutality perpetrated on the people of Hong Kong by the communist government in China.
Under the British, the people of Hong Kong knew Freedom of speech, as is expected in a democracy, in communism; tyranny takes precedent over democracy; the government of China is a regime of tyrants!
If Roosevelt would lost his head and sell Dominica to China, you can be assured that the powers of the world beside Russia would not tolerate that; there would be a war, the world powers against China.
You don’t know but Britain have the power to withdraw the autonomy granted to our country, Britain can revoke the instruments of independent; as they have done with a small corrupted island in the Caribbean; research that!
Dominica was under British Rule at various periods from 1492 until Independence of 1978. I was born in 1973 and recall I was maybe 6-7 when the first electric street lamp first came to Grand Bay.
If it took the British this long to put one street lamp in Grand Bay, what on earth gives you the idea that they would have built an International Airport.
It is often badly overlooked by Dominicans that all the development we see in Dominica has come since Independence. And yes, it may not be as fast or modern as others in the region, but that’s still a grand achievement compared to the hundreds of years the British had.
OR the French or the Dutch.
Amen. We can propose whatever we want but we must trust and pray that it is the will of God. But we cannot receive if we does ask. We cannot succeed if we do not try.
Liz just remind them that land do not spoil. So any investment in land is a good investment.
Billy, IGood mentioning St Kitts as a model. Their airport was built during the Bradshaw administration. Then St Kitts had 2 hotels and a villa type guest house settlement almost like our jungle bay. The sugar industry was being taken away so tourism became a priority as a driver for economic stability. Bradshaw ask the British government to assist. Sir Hugh Greatbatch who was head of the British Overseas Development office branch in Barbados was not amused. Mr Bradshaw approach the British office directly and made a deal to receive the funds with the stipulation that financial assistance would be suspended for a few years based on the equivalent of the coast of this airport. St Kitts got it airport financed by UK . Tourism became a priority because sugar was dead. There is more to this story when the sugar industry was nationalize and when Anguilla broke away, But that is all for now. International airport mattersa lot.
It is good that Dr Dr has made an i.a. his priority.
Where is the joke ? It must be on you. When was the one term party, the uwp, in power? It is an indisputable fact that the first government to purchase land for the airport was the administration of Hon E. O. Leblanc our first Premier. Then Hon Patrick John, our first Prime Minister was negotiating with both the Venezuelan and the French governments to build the i.a. P.J had their attention. How do you think the Canefield “playboy” airstrip was built. How do you think the proposed construction of the stadium at Canefield began. Was it Bob Marley who warned us that if you do not know your history you will be taken for a fool? I was there sitting in the front row. I do not have to go digging in government files to get Doctorate in History.
If bridges and roads they need Chinese to build for them is the international airport we will get?
All I have to say is when Chinese build in your country and you cant pay back is take they taking what they build.
So if they build the airport and that is a big if eh…if they build it and we cant maintain it whilst simultaneously trying to pay back china for it then china will do as they have done to other countries they “Help” and take that airport for themselves.
but just watch…to get to china from Dominica you have to go through all these American monitored airports in the western countries then on to Europe then to china…but if you have a fight cutting through Africa then they have a straight path around the globe with Dominica being the focal point of entry to the western hemisphere. In times of war like what we seeing going on between China and America today, where you think their planes will land to refuel? Think people, it’s not illegal yet.
At least we can see the designs of the DFP and UWP. Where is Skerrit design after 20 years? Just a lot of hot air and BS.
Only in his head where all the other lies are stored as well.
It is being “Made in China”.
FIFTY YEARS??? DNO Admin. Don’t give yourself any stress nuh. Save this article and re-post it in 2070 to mark the 100th anniversary of, “The International Airport Back-and-Forth Story”. All you need to do is update it 2020-2070.
I like how DNO didn’t even bother to go through the chronology of promises under the DLP. Just summarize it in a paragraph lol
Ummmm… 20 years and still carrying out geotechnical studies…..???
LOL !!!!!!
“2000 – 2020:The DLP was elected to power in 2000. But from 2002 the government was occupied with the necessity of upgrading Melville Hall to maintain accreditation. Then it was consumed with post-Tropical Storm Erika repairs(2015) and further work following Hurricane Maria (2017).” so the government of 20 years, spends 15 years which is long term planning, to say Erika is the reason why they were not able to build an international airport! and Dominicans see nothing wrong in this? after 15 years of talk, means there was never any plan of an airport. cause upgrading an existing airport while having another constructed is not an issue. the development of Dominica seems to be purposefully stagnated. we should truly be concerned as to why is the economy being purposefully slowed!
But the man himself said he not going to do any international airport. IS only after the 2014 elections, and the saw how badly melvillehall was flooding after erica they realized that not working. All before he was trying night landing which worked a little,but still didnt guarantee same day travel. Excuses are like opinions. They have! almost 2021 and nothing, more studies to be done by the Chinese who going to build it. And the money that was put aside to build it? where it?
Why did this writer omit the fact that the current Prime Minister, on the advice of his $1 Minister of Tourism, a very prominent hotel businessman, informed us that Dominica does not need an international airport, due to cost on the tax payer? Is this how history is so easily re-written in broad daylight, happened right in our faces? I was enjoying this write-up until the obvious rewriting of history from 2000-2020! The prominent hotel owner, Minister of Tourism for $1, has always opined that Dominica does not need an international airport but a transit hub! I am not saying that he is wrong or right. But please include the Government decision to not build the international airport based on this view, it is part of the story. Why omit this very public statement and fundamental fact from the history and story? Do you remember when Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told us that we do not need an international airport? Then story changed! It seems like we do now! Hindsight! If I had known!
So embarrassing.
Until we actually have something to discuss about the airport project (timeframe for development, cost, size, contractors being used to build the airport), I suggest DNO stop reporting about the so called international airport project. We have actual pressing issues in this country we need to resolve now.
The only time that money was secured and spent on the construction of an international airport in Dominica was by the UWP government. All Skerritt has done is lie to the people over and over with not even a shovel of earth moved. Eugenia Charles had a commitment from the USA to interfere in our elections by coming in and bulldozing some land just before the election to give the appearance of work on the airport. Skerritt gave farmers land bought by the UWP to work, thus putting back the prospect of building the airport. He promised sites in Woodfordhill, Portsmouth and elsewhere with no real concrete plans. You hear lies, only more lies. Just get a bigger, better and safer airport built where UWP bought the land. This would accommodate bigger aircraft and enable more flights into and out of Dominica from neighboring islands. International airport will be too costly to build and maintain and there are many such in islands surrounding Dominica.
we do not have an international airport because of Roosevelt Skerrit and Eugenia Charles. Dominica has been independent for forty two years and while we have had seven prime ministers, Eugenia and Skerrit has a total of thirty one years as prime ministers of Dominica. Patrick John and Roosevelt Douglas only served ten months, Oliver Seraphin served about one year, Pierre charles served three years and three months while Edison James served four years and six months. It would be very unfair to blame any other prime minister for not having an international airport than Eugenia Charles and Roosevelt Skerrit.
Thank-you DNO and Dr. Honychurch for this summation. I would like to add that several models of Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s were designed for runways under 6,000′ in length. In fact they regularly land on 5,000′ runways here and there in the world. These aircraft regularly fly from North American cities to islands in the neighbourhood of Dominica. Melville Hall runway is 5,600′ in length. Why is this never ever mentioned in any of these scenarios?
If one of these lands here and God forbid there is a problem limiting it from taking off, are we prepared o do maintenance on these planes, what about hanger bays to house them and repair them?? Chances may have been taken to land a large trans continental capable plane on Dominican soil in the past but doing so now is a risk no airline is willing to take, so yes we need an international airport with high standards of upkeep.
I worked at the National Development Corporation (NDC) when the UWP was in power from June 1995 to January 2000. I did not support them but honestly they were the only party in the 50 years referenced by Doctor Lennox Honychurch in this article who made any significant progress on international development in Dominica.
Yet the current DLP government wants to consider a DFP site with crosswinds, waterlogged soils, not enough space for run way, that will seriously affect the people of Wesley, that will destroy potential site for golf course and hotel/ resort development.
Let’s get real and put politics aside and build the airport on the better site selected by the UWP Government on the advise of Planning and Stanley, bearing in mind that the airport will serve the needs of all Dominicans.
And where was the money in this significant progress? We still don’t have an international airport after 50 years of trying and building pies in the sky. The significant progress you claim the UWP made was a financial disaster as the money borrowed from Trinidad to help build this airport was used in large part to pay government debt. The dirty secret why Dominica does not have a proper airport is because we are poor, not because of LeBlanc, Patrick, James, Eugenia, Douglas, Charles or Skeritt. All these PMs genuinely wanted to build an international airport but they were all faced with financial constraints. You see the British left us nothing to work with.
Skerrit is the PM who has had THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCESS TO FINANCING. Especially after Erica, and Maria. Yet we still poor? Millions floats through the country daily under our noses. Them man crying brokes, but yet they expanding their personal empires every year. Man that grow up poor with no moral compas will rape and loot anyone for their own benefit without remorse. When the man does talk about recieving money his eyes does light up and he does try and conceal his smile. Same look he does have when he kow he lying.
@Anon, you say the fact that Dominica is poor is the reason we don’t have an international airport. Hogwash! St. Vincent is not rich and yet it has an International Airport.
St. Vincent does not have a CBI scheme either. We have but we still further behind. What did p.M. do with the money?
“I worked at the National Development Corporation (NDC) when the UWP was in power from June 1995 to January 2000. I did not support them but honestly they were the only party in the 50 years.”
Indeed you are king of the century; you have spoken the gospel truth: And this gospel truth has nothing to do with the practice of Christianity.
I simply mean you have spoken words that are absolutely true!
Had Roosevelt Skerrit and the puppets in his circus, and those in the circus of the coalition labor party led by the late; Charles and Douglas, did not shut it down Dominica would long have an International Airport.When people are ignorant and wicked the victimize their own person.
Lennox Honychruch made the claim that Dominica will never ever get an International Airport; he said we will never see an Aircraft leave Gatwick in England and land in Dominica.
It would be interesting if you would state what significant progress Lennox made on international development in…
In what capacity Lennox Honeychurch served when he made the significant progress in international development “in Dominica.”
Note: when we speak of international; the concept relates to the following: ” International means something involving more than a single country.
The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries.
Example; international law, which is applied by more than one country and usually everywhere on Earth.”
Please be informative and disclose the activities of Lennox and his achievements as they relate to Dominica internationally.
I am not talking away anything from him; I am aware he is; for whatever it’s worth a local historian, whom I understand did some research in Dominica on the Carib Indian Reservation; but in all my almost hundred years of living I don’t remember Lennox worked in any capacity which caused him to bring anything to Dominica.
They will cut off their nose to spite their face before they admite UWP had a good idea. whats worse is if the people who they represent do not agree the people will be ignored and then man will still do what they want. If the people protest they will be teargased and arrested, just like how they did them when laurain Bannis from castle bruce insisted that the new san sauver school (state of the art they said) be built right on the sea side, when DFP had already set land aside specifically for that purpose. Today, that same selected site is where they put their housing scheme. meanwhile the school rotting away from sea blast from the atlantic ocean. more waste.
Excuse me honeychurch…but their seem to be a little bias on how you ended your edifice on the history of Dominica’s airport pipe dream,the way you ended abruptly,i was looking forward to what deeper insights you had on the present government’s handling of the now proposed Chinese delivery!!!but it was like blam,and you were gone,when i look at Dominican society i cringe,u know why?because their are people who can dig up a lot of valuable information in this age,and they chose not,instead they stand on the sidelines and echo sound bites,exemplifying i don’t understand why,i just shake my head,we need people in this age to educate the people as to what is going on and should be done by this present government,fighting them does not resolve anything,only makes them madder,it’s time for a unified Dominica in other to go forward,everytime you read a story on DNO,you can feel the divide,party politics on every side,may God help the poor people in 🇩🇲 Dominica,politics has held them…
China and Skerrit are selling us to hell with fake promises. Since when China builds “commercial” infrastructure? I can tell you if there was a policy change then they will build it, manage it and ultimately control everything in and out of the airport including your personal data etc. Let us make sure they build it and leave….yes we have to kick China and Skerrit out before its too late.
On the question of viability, I remember someone making a sensible case here before the election which in so many ways said that an airport is not a luxury in this day and age but an absolute necessity. He/ she compared it to a the fire service which does not generate revenue for the state but provides a much needed service. That my friends I believe is more important than always asking about how much it will make. Skerro money for it. What I know is that we need an international/ BIG jet -or what ever you want to call it- accessible airport since like day before…
And so people love their PM and cannot see that the best cite has already been identified and money spent in preparation for the airport. Mr Srerritt when sir, are you going to be a statesman and just progress the plans already established by the previous government? There may be slight modifications to be made but everything we need in terms of a location is already there and paid for. You sir are Avery evil and disgraceful man and your sole purpose in seeking a different location is to put money in the hands of your supporters, like teacher Glow. Stop it now and if Chinese, your new colonial masters really want to build an airport, let’s get the money and chose developers with proven tract record to do a proper job
Thanks DNO for this summary. I sincerely hope that you didn’t pen this piece because of the most recent gibberish by the PM.
No international airport will be built under THIS Labour party, not because it can’t but simply because it is incapable of so doing.
I implore the international health community to postpone the search for a vaccine against the Coronavirus and instead, search for one to combat the PM’s lying syndrome given that he is so economical with the truth.
HOTEP!
That was you all sentiment on the marigot hospital
Econ, “That was all sentiment on the Marigot hospital”,,,,,,, the friendship bridge across the Roseau river, the west coast road with new bridges and now the hospital at at Goodwill, THE CHINESE DOMINICA FRIENDSHIP HOSPITAL. WOW ! Real lies that became truth. Well if these are lies give us more.
Yes give us more lies, give us an excess of it. What beautiful lies, more please.
This brief assessment says a lot about us as a people. We focus on the wrong things, such as brutalizing political foes, trying to imitate the culture and practices of our countries like the US. Mind you, some characteristics are beneficial such as promoting work ethics. Our efforts are sometimes limited with an unfortunate political twist which stunts our support for country before self. We are last in several areas of economic achievement in the region, our output per government minister (OPGM) may be the lowest since our government system is overloaded.
Governments/political parties have tried and failed to build an international airport since 1961. The most progressive has been the United Workers Party (UWP). While the merits of building the airport is highly important and is another topic by itself, enough credit is not given to the UWP for being the most progressive among the other governments/parties. We do not know what we’re missing until we miss it.
This is very interesting and funny. Have heard all this talk of international airport before but had really lost track of how far back it goes. I am not with most Dominicans on this one. Don’t think a longer runway does us any good. My favorite options are Pond Casse and Canefield. Weather permitting, Pond Casse would be great and would open the middle to development. Canefield could have been reoriented to allow for safe usage. Placed deeper into River Estate and directed more out to seal. It would not have been an international airport but would have gotten us closer to the commercial center.
The UWP administration did far more than any previous or succeeding government thus far in advancing the construction of an international airport. Yet, incredibly, the author of this article makes no mention of the concrete actions undertaken by the UWP such as purchase of land, the conduct of feasibility studies and mobilisation of funds (not the totality of the financing required but they had already secured funding from the EU and Taiwan when they left office). The author only mentions that the UWP included the building of an international airport in their 2000 elections manifesto. Why? Perhaps this statement in the article on the efforts (or rather rhetoric) of the DLP Government on the construction of an international airport is a clue: ”it [the DLP Government] was consumed with post-Tropical Storm Erika repairs(2015) and further work following Hurricane Maria (2017). ” Meditate on this!
My comment was written before DNO added the 1998 section. The first version of the DNO article did not include details on the effort of the UWP administration to build an international airport.
Ummm…read the article again
“After examining and doing preliminary drawings of all other potential sites, the optimum location chosen was at Woodford Hill with landing over Hodges, a runway through part of Woodford Hill village and Eden Estate and take off over Bottom Wesley.
So, was this plan ever released for public comment? And BTW, is there a rendering of that alignment, or is that the second drawing (Wesley-Woodford Itl airport.)
The plan “of the optimum location chosen” is contained in the “Dominica Airport Study – Final Report” of 1988. However it was not released to the public because the government of the day, as mentioned in the article, did not approve of the alignment because so much of Woodford Hill village would have to be bulldozed and other lands taken. That plan is available.
As stated, PM Charles asked for another alignment in that general area and the one printed at the top of this article was approved. This second plan was made public and appeared in the DFP Manifestos. That is the one appearing in this article: The second Gibb plan as requested by the government of the day.
Drawings of all of the sites studied and mentioned here are published in the Gibb Report, showing alignments, approach cones, elevations and major infringements and obstacle limitations on the surface. More detailed plans were done for the favoured site including cast concrete crossings for Woodford Hill and Eden…
Dominicans are again being fooled by Skerrit re. that international airport. On too many occasions, he has told citizens of plans, of loans and agreements signed, of agencies and companies working with him on that project. Remember, the $300 million loan he said he signed with a private Chinese financial firm, part of which was for that same airport? Wasn’t money put aside, millions, for that same airport, as he claimed?
So if the Chinese are going to fund and build airport, what happens to those millions and previous agreements?
The people of Dominica do not allow yourselves to be further ENSLAVED by those who cheat, lie and impoverish you and country, while they laugh all the way to the bank. Stop abusing the people and country. Time will tell.
How does Skerrit, as Minister of Finance, talk of
Often the development of St.Vincent’s new Argyle International Airport is mentioned. Currently only scheduled flights from Miami (2x weekly), Toronto (2x weekly) and New York (1x weekly) come to the Argyle airport (thus 5 per week). The development costs were estimated at US$ 259,000,000 (EC$ 700 million). Add interest. How will such an amount be recovered in what time period? If that number is established, what will the cost be per day or per month? How will that be recovered? Revenue from what?
Wow….I am surprised that they get that many. My view is that Dominica my get one a week, from Miami, and that’s it. A small plane and not the ‘bigger than Liat’ aspirations of Dominicans. In this age of the cost of air transport and the need for full planes, I just don’t see the traffic to support this investment.
We should celebrate our ‘Smallness’. Create a society of healthy, educated and happy people. That is the true measure of richness and prosperity.
@Cdr. Bud Slabbaert, I endorse your comment. Some Dominicans are simply looking at what the other Islands have and to spit out cabbage against their own country, the Prime Minister, and his government, without looking any further.
Thank you for your example of St. Vincent–I think that is the first thing which should be considered before initiating other plans. It is one thing to have the funds to build an international airport, but it is a much harder thing to be able to handle maintaining it.
At the high cost of everything today, an international airport needs a lot more than 5 trips a week with a reasonable number of passengers–especially tourists travelers–if there is going to be any sign of fruitful production, which is most important of all.
After 50 years, only God knows if Dominica can handle and defeat that dragon (international airport) that we are trying to attack–may His Will done.
How can you endorse something which is literally crap!
You continue try to fit your square head into a and triangle; you have no clue what that man is talking about: commander my behind!
In Canada, as well as in the United States old people like you still have the opportunity to go to adult school; to get elementary, secondary, college, and, or university education day or night!
Stop indulging in fart; and try something constructive for once in your life.
Liz, I think an i.a. is a must. For one, it will put us in a position to negotiate reciprocal landing rights which could lead to our own airline with or without partnership in the airline business. We could also have air cargo for exporting fresh produce and flowers. We would benefit from economic of scale also. There are many other reasons I why I am so positively in favour of this airport, but I will not sell out to the competition.
I see a win win situation for Dominica with this airport. I hope I change your mindset on this Comrade Bud Stabbaert and give the Dr. Dr. the benefit of the doubt. He knows what he is doing. You think that he wants to build an airport that will not pass international inspection?
N.B. I like to say Dr Dr because it gets under the skin of opposition forces. Ha Ha.
When you have your own money you can buy your needs at the snap of your fingers in a heart beat, but when you have to depend on donours that is an other story. What do you think now ?
John don’t even try to explain anything to the Elizabeth kind; people like her cannot analyze, and deduce anything for for themselves, she supports every bit of fart written by fictitious names.
She supports that unknown man because she read the name or title commander!
Now if she review my comments I wrote all over DNO where I write about Argyle International Airport, cost and all, and how many flights they have per week; in reference to I saying they don’t need LIAT; she did not find it fit to support anything I said.
But this unknown who almost wrote my words verbatim with a slight variable, she supports!
How hypocritical can one human be?
If it is not hypocrisy, this is someone who simply does not even have the commonsense of an infant child!
She is simply looking for some false recognition by trying to force her square head into a triangle hole!
A round peg can never fit into a round or oval shaped hole!
“A round peg can never fit into a round or oval shaped hole!”
Well, let me correct that okay.
I meant to write a square peg; or one with more than five sides can never fit into an oval shaped hole!
Liz, an Airport is just part of the infrastructure of a country. You can have the best state off the art airport. But if you do not have expertise in travel and tourism you can never reap the benefits there of. International tourism focus on the USA as a source or a destination. But there are close to 8 billion people in the world of these the USA has only 300 million. So we must look elsewhere for our customers. A jet strip airport is as important as a main road or train tract. If we look at St Martin, Bermuda, St Kitts, St Lucia and Barbados we can see the difference an i, a, can do. Just imagine if we had our airport during the Leblanc administration…..Do not let Comrade Bud Stabbaert influence your thinking. Ask Jesus to magnify your spirit of discernment and you will realize that this person has ulterior motives. A Jet can carry 300 per trip, ie 1800 per week based on his numbers, there is losts of room for improvement. What is St Vincent hotel/stay room capacity ?
Joseph, what I should have noticed is that what’s his name mentioned “right now”–so he must have been referring to the present time with Corvid-19.
I am not for, neither am I against an International Airport for Dominica; but I will always believe that what God has planned for our country, that is what will come forth, and so far I have seen a lot from Him, through PM Skerrit.
If God has it planned for Dominica to get much further in economic development through an international airport and by the hands of PM Skerrit, so let it be done.
But let us consider how many times that plan has started and failed; why is that so?
Liz, good question. Why is that so ? Why people who post comments are so negative, so insultive so mean, so wicked.
Are we really cursed? For example Roseau have had waste disposal problems when trash was picked up with mules and carts. (1950’s.) From then mayors had “keep the city clean” campaigns but to no avail. The most effective mayor was Jojo Karam who went to Kamdem UK to observe waste disposal and returned with two modern trash trucks. He implemented a “keep the city clean campaign.” But up to today no karay.
When PJ decided to build a deep water habour it was said that all we need was a jetty. His plan was to build it from its present location to the goodwill church, but we ended up with a “jetty”
When Skeritt decided on the i.a. there was a lot of negative talk about about its need.
Have we inherited an overburden of strong negative vibrations, are we cursed ?
Do we pray and put our hope and trust in Jesus our Lord,our God?
Dominica is the…
How many did St. Kitts get when they opened. How many were they getting prior to this COVID-19 pandemic? Small minded and non-forward thinkers create obstacle to true development. Instead of spending money building hotels, spend the money to develop the air access and let private investors build their hotel. CBI money is interest free to the country. It costs less to get to the hubs, than it costs to get from the hubs to Dominica and those flights are also more reliable. I know people who will never set foot on a turbo-prop. And that doesn’t include the added inconvenience, including possible over-nighting created by the transit through a hub, especially considering that there was little coordination between the flights into the hubs and those leaving for Dominica.
I understand that there was major criticism when the PMH was first built because of the location. People said it was being built in bush. Where are those detractors now?
Billy, IGood mentioning St Kitts as a model. Their airport was built during the Bradshaw administration. Then St Kitts had 2 hotels and a villa type guest house settlement almost like our jungle bay. The sugar industry was being taken away so tourism became a priority as a driver for economic stability. Bradshaw ask the British government to assist. Sir Hugh Greatbatch who was head of the British Overseas Development office branch in Barbados was not amused. Mr Bradshaw approach the British office directly and made a deal to receive the funds with the stipulation that financial assistance would be suspended for a few years based on the equivalent of the coast of this airport. St Kitts got it airport financed by UK . Tourism became a priority because sugar was dead. There is more to this story when the sugar industry was nationalize and when Anguilla broke away, But that is all for now. International airport mattersa lot.
It is good that Dr Dr has made an i.a. his priority.
I know all about it; give credit to Paul Southwell from the village of Castle Bruce Dominica who was Interim Premier of St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla during the short period of the West Indies Federation.
Robert Bradshaw left his post of Premier and went to Trinidad to represent St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla.
The St. Kitts International Airport is the brain child of Paul Southwell; he built it.
And that is why I find it strange that Roosevelt brought another corrupted Denzil Douglas who is born in St. Kitts carrying a Dominica diplomatic passport claiming to be Dominica born, to tell Dominicans if Dominica should build or deserve an International Airport!
The rest you wrote are true; but the Castle Bruce boy, born to Antiguan parent in Dominica who came to Dominica in the 1920’s/30’s to work when Dominica was a dominant force in employment in the Caribbean; built St. Kitts International Airport.
Give him and the place of his birth Dominica the credit.
The current intl airport project being touted by the PM is bogus. There is no tangible project being pursued. The Chinese are all in with our government in selling us this falsehood. And the craziest thing is this man(the PM) is handed a cop out on a platter – Covid 19.
He is going to spend the rest of this 5 year term using covid 19 as the reason why his government is once again unable to deliver on the airport project.
Unbelievable!!
Where was Skeritt between 1970 and 2004? For part of that period Skeritt was not yet born. You are faced with historical facts and all you can do is make silly political pronouncements. If you are implying that Skeritt is the reason why we don’t have a jet airport, what part the various leaders from 1970 to 2004 played in this plot? Were they waiting on Skeritt to finally not build the airport? Truly unbelievable!!
HUH!? We’re not leaving in the past my fellow Dominican. Wake up from your coma it’s 2020. Skerrit is the Prime Minister of Dominica TODAY. Yes these past leaders may have dropped the ball then; but he is dropping the ball NOW. And in the world of the living all we’ve got is NOW.
@Annon, your observation is what I have been looking at, not only about that international airport saga but for the whole development of Dominica
These people, especially those in the diaspora are joining with the opposition leader and his team to claim that Dominica is in a state of depression under the rule of PM Skerrit, which is a false claim. My concern is, the young generation is buying those unscrupulous lies
If we remove PM Skerrit from 50 years, we have 30 years of planning that failed for an international airport, which should also include other economical plans
Up until 1972 and beyond that, PM Skerrit was nowhere in the picture, but we are reading that plans for an international airport either failed or was rejected, who gets the blame for this?
Mr. Skerrit is only 48 years old, he started when he was 28 by the choice of the people, 20 years later, he is still their choice. How many young men in Dominica could have played his role?
Liz, I have the hope that this airport will be built before the next election. I know that opposition forces will lose their voices. They will become dottish. All their fake accusations and roro will only strengthen the DLP and the Dr Dr resolve and determination.
You seem to have issues with reading and comprehension. The poster is talking about the CURRENT intl airport project being touted by the government. Let’s not forget that the UWP had a well developed plan already underway and it was completely scrapped because of politics. The rest of those attempts are history, nothing we can do about them anymore but Skerrit is who is in power NOW and we need to hold his feet to the fire if we ever want to see this project completed.
Anon, opposition forces do not have a sense of fairness. How can they blame the Dr Dr for what happened before he wa born. Or when he was not even present. MAGWASA !
You are trying to ignore the fact that in the history of Dominica we have never had anyone in power for so long. That being said, he must be severely criticized. Administrations that were in power for a far shorter period than him, seemed to achieve far more results than he has in terms of an international airport. putting politics aside, one must admit that this administration has done precious little to address the issue of an international airport, especially when compared to the efforts of other administrations who were in power for just a fraction of that time.
There is more than a grain of truth in this because the P.M. says now he is waiting for the Chinese to carry out a soil survey of the chosen area, which means they do not know yet if it is suitable, on the other hand he says heli’s already negotiating with owners of the land to purchase it. This does not add up.
Perhaps he is planning an 18 hold golf course there all along under the guise of so called airport development.
Soil survey and soil sampling is mainly used for foundation and equipment assessment for construction. For example can one use explosive or heavy equipment or both.
It is said that the leaning tower of Pisa was built without this survey. Venice is getting the same observation because the city is sinking. It was built on various islets. So the Dr Dr is right on point again.
LH,
Thanks for the updated information. However, how many times has this current Government promise an international airport.
I did some research and found out there was an add from Liat in the 80’s and early 90’s that said
Liat Serving Dominica with over 11 flights a day. That was between the two airports.
Is this correct?
Hahahaah LOLLLLLL, Ai Dominica is a joke wee boy, what is wrong with us. The only time that serious moves was made for the IA was when UWP Government acquired land to develop the airport, otherwise, it was just a pachay talk and more talk
@AA, what is your point? The money that was spent to acquire the land was wasted because the project failed. So isn’t that worse than the talk and more talk?
Besides many of you, people, have nothing else to do but talk negatively against the plans of the Government. So the seeds you all sow is that you will reap, whatever is the fruit.
God is providing for the humble and innocent by His knowledge of their needs.
Amen. We can propose whatever we want but we must trust and pray that it is the will of God. But we cannot receive if we does ask. We cannot succeed if we do not try.
Liz just remind them that land do not spoil. So any investment in land is a good investment.
Where is the joke ? It must be on you. When was the one term party, the uwp, in power? It is an indisputable fact that the first government to purchase land for the airport was the administration of Hon E. O. Leblanc our first Premier. Then Hon Patrick John, our first Prime Minister was negotiating with both the Venezuelan and the French governments to build the i.a. P.J had their attention. How do you think the Canefield “playboy” airstrip was built. How do you think the proposed construction of the stadium at Canefield began. Was it Bob Marley who warned us that if you do not know your history you will be taken for a fool? I was there sitting in the front row. I do not have to go digging in government files to get Doctorate in History.