Night landing at the Melville Hall Airport, which was touted as one of the ways that would help increase visitor arrivals to Dominica, is struggling along at the moment, officials have admitted.
Tourism Minister Ian Douglas says there are night landing flights at the moment, although he conceded that they were “intermittent” rather than “frequent”.
“Liat has been coming in in the night, and Air BVI has been coming in” the minister said in response to a question from DNO.
“Planes are landing here after sundown from Antigua, from St Maarten, BVI,” Douglas confirmed.
However he emphasized that the onus was on the airlines to make greater use of the facility.
“At the end of the day if the night landing is to improve in terms of more planes coming at night it is the airlines that have to use the facility,” Douglas explained.
He indicated that he would like to see regional airline Liat make greater use of the facility, as Dominica’s major carrier.
The tourism minister said Liat has explained that it has limited planes with night landing capability, and that some of its pilots have to undergo training to use the navigational instruments involved.
Air BVI is undertaking the bulk of the night landing flights at the moment, according to Colin Piper, the Chief Executive Officer of the Discover Dominica Authority.
“BVI has three flights weekly departing St Maarten at 6pm which arrive in Dominica after sunset,” he disclosed.
“They have met that schedule since they started on June 4th (2011),” Piper said, apart from two flights, one which was due to weather condition, and the other mechanical issues.
Dominica’s night landing facility at the Melville Hall Airport was officially launched in September 2010 with an inaugural flight from Antigua.
That’s strange because i was in Antigua and they said that there is no night flights from Antigua to Dominica
You want more airlines to use the airport, then you have to either give them a financial incentive to do so, and/or increase tourism activities!
Both of these fall squarely upon the desk of the Minister of Tourism; and PM.
One of the greatest ways to facilitate new tourism is to make more use of the Waitukubuli National Trail for Ultra trail runners. But to date, I see very little interest in Dominican bureaucrats to follow up despite the offshore interest by groups such as TCC runners.
Furthermore, I take issue with their (poor) use of a private marketing firm in (I believe) Minnesota, USA, that has no idea Dominica’s tourism demographic! This private firm merely assumes the demographic is identical to the other islands! How can Dominica compete for obese tourists looking for Rolex watches, duty free high-end goods, and jet skis?!
“Progressive Change”
I really want to overstate the case for Optimistic people, who has been fairly circumspect about this topic of “Night Landing in Dominica”. While some of our pessimistic people are saying that we don’t need any kind of progress change in Dominica, they have acted and spoken,very forcefully to give rise and meaning to the phase that if Christopher Columbus coukd come back to life the only island the Caribbean he would recognise is Dominica (Negative Connotation). And he certainly, they have not seen or visualized the motherland occupying a different status than it’s current status quo.
That said, those who believe that Dominica’s fate is firmly in the hands of a malignant and self-serving pessimist and non patrioctic elite should have to have to explain why “³their” introverted psycology, seems not to be sinking.
firstly, we ought to compliment the minister for taking a bold and brave move in telling it like it really is. Ian, you are finally manning up. I personally do not thing that an international airport is the answer. There should be an airport that accomodate larger air crafts, like midsized jets, and the water ways should be much better utilized. Can we afford to maintain an international airport.??
I said it many times before and i will say it again if an airline don’t come in the day then why would it come at night. On that note, like i said before, night landing was never going to solve our problem . i told you all before that LIAT will put in an extra flights and that’s about it. so said so done.
I hope those myopic labor supporters is seeing and remembering their comments on previous threads from cakafette to DNO.
The Minister Ian Douglass needs to inform us of the growth rate in visitor arrivals for the last five years. Then we can be in a better position to assess the impact of night landing and the airport improvement.
Also we need to know LIAT flight occupancy rate in and out of Dominica ( over the past 3 years). Again this could be an indicator to determine whether liat need to put in an extra flight daily into Dominica. (based on my observation i don’t think there are enough travel out of Dominica on daily basis for liat to put in an extra flight. The #s could prove me wrong).
The Minister also need to inform the cabinet of the need for an international airport.I know for a fact that the minister knows that the answer to
our travel problem is the international Airport .
The international airport is the catalyst that will move our tourism industry to its rightful place in terms of improvement in market share and foreign exchange earnings.
Almost everyone who commented here is in agreement for the int’ airport but some are concerned with the cost and the ability of the country to meet the expense of maintaining the facility and running the facility as a profitable enterprise.
First , i agree that an international airport is expensive and treasury has no money in its coffers to finance it.
The problem is any government of this day should be creative and innovative and hence the DLP has failed in this area. I said this because after recognizing the cost of a new airport the DLP took the easy way out and never explore the option of BOOT, BOT , OR PPP agreement . Even our good friends Venezuela or china could have been brought under one such agreement. After all, if these national really care about Dominica like the PM stated then i don’t think they would refuse given the importance of such infrastructure.
Moreover , we could look at the creativity of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who once told us SVG and Dominica don’t need an international airport.
The SVG government under the stewardship of Mr. Gonsalves was able to combine assistance from Venezuela , Cuba and the government of SVG to persue an int”airport . That’s the level of creativity lacking in Dominica.
The DLP government could also explore the option of a concessional loan from it good friends , or float a EURO bond or some other financial instrument to raise necessary financing.
Any loan is going to come at a cost of servicing the debt. However given the multiplier impact of the international airport during and after construction we can estimate at least an improve in GDP by approximately 5%. At gdp level of about 1.7 billion this would lead to an improve of gdp by 85 million per annum.
based on the average tax revenue to gdp of 27% , we could then expect an increase in tax revenue of
$23million per annum .
Imagine if we achieve an annual growthrate of at least 2% GDP there after .then this 23 million will only get larger. Isn’t this extra annual income more than enough to service the debt and maintenance of the international airport ? now this sort of analysis can be done lot better but just keeping it simple. ( kind of study needed by the dlp)
Finally,
In terms of profitability , the airport need not be judge on the direct revenue that it generates but for the jobs and increase in economic activity that it will generate in the country. ( think of the airport like building a school , road , hospital etc ) they are all necessary facilitators conducive for the development of any country.
The ability to attract flights to Dominica. Again i call on the Minister to make public exactly what it is we are offering the cruise ships to call to our shores . I know in Antigua the ships gets rebates on head tax if they make a certain amount of calls per year and for each passenger above a certain amount. ( two Wednesdays ago there where 14700 passengers on shore in Antigua ). In some other island these ships are offered duty fuel etc .
I touch on the cruise sector because it seems like everyone is scared of guaranteeing seats on various international airline to fly direct to dominica. again i need not state how successful Antigua has been at this. ( i will deal with this next time cause i have already been too long) . however that’s the level of innovation and creativity that its going to take to attract the level of visitor arrival that we all are praying to see in Dominica. Remember more than 40% employed in Antigua are working directly in hotels and restaurants.
More to come.
The fact remains… international airport or not… Dominica does not have a developed tourism product. So why would you fly here… to look at trees?
First Dominica’s infrastructure needs to be deveoped. For example, there is not a single four-lane highway in Dominica… and most of the road system that we have is below international standards. Someone landing at Melville Hall has to endure a 1.5 hour drive thru a jungle just to get to Roseau – only 20-something linear miles away. Developing our road and safety system (signage, speed limit, safety enforcement, etc) is key to a country’s development. The infrastructure in Roseau is a mess, although there have been some improvements. But development of our ports, cities, towns, need to be PLANNED, and not have haphazard placement of streets, buildings developments. Encourage maximal use of lands for development – like building multi-story developments. This will also strengthen the visual appeal of Dominica. If we see high-rise buildings, it just builds the image of a progressive Dominica. It also curtails urban sprawl – seeing that we have limited land space in Dominica. AS well, the international airport would also increase Dominica’s profile, viability and competitiveness.
Second, we need demand for our tourism product. No matter how many big hotels we build or flights we crave, what is the product that we have to sell? Banana plantation tours? We don’t have the white-sand beaches of other islands, so we need to be innovative in our product offerings. FOlks in this forum have also called for marketing of our product. But Dominica should build or develop something that only Dominica has… and the world wants to see!
Thirdly, our nature sites need to be improved. Accessibility is a big issue. I understand we want to preserve nature, but then don’t promote it to have a million people come visit, if you’re not going to build access for the masses, especially handicapped individuals (although we can’t accommodate disabled folks at every site). Adding a little to enhance nature sites is not a bad idea
Fourth, seek investments which will draw a CONSTANT stream of travellers to Dominica. Ross University has been doing it since 1978. We need more. Develop our offshore education and medical sector. Ask Cuba to invest in a training hospital or seek a US company to open another med school or tech school, or seek a major investor to build a nature or other theme park.
Fifth, improve the education and training for our people. Make education more accessible. Have a branch of DSC in Portsmouth or Marigot and/or have a joint-agreement with Ross. Encourage Ross to expand – thru incentives. Entice UWI to open a campus in Dominica, to serve needs of Lesser Antilles – give them good concessions.
If we do these things, I promise, LIAT and others will be dying to come to Dominica – because it will be economically feasible and enticing!!!
Dominica really needs an international airport. We made a mistake when the government decided to renovate the current airport.
Last month while traveling, for 5 days night flights were cancelled which was not the fault of LIAT however the current location of the airport.
One couple remarked ‘We will NEVER return to this island not even if we were getting paid $1000.00 it is so ridiculous.’
I honestly think that there is some division in Dominica when it comes to country and town. If the international airport was drafted to be built in the Roseau i am sure that it would have been completed since every good thing must be in town and individuals on the north should go to the gardens and remain farmers.
Carnival is in Roseau, Creole Festival is in Roseau, major shopping facility, jobs and college to name a few… We need development in Dominica.
Mr Douglas, you say ” Liat has explained that it has limited planes with night landing capability, and that some of its pilots have to undergo training to use the navigational instruments involved” Will you please name your source in Liat who said so? Because that person should be dismissed. ALL of our aircraft are equipped to land in Melville at night, sir. The company has specific procedures for landing at such a category airport at night and each captain has to be “checked out” into the airport by a training captain. Writer “Ryan” is correct in stating the real mitigating factor for landing is really the meteorological factors ie wind and visibility. Liat raises the stated minimum factors for landing in an effort to remain on the positive side of the safety curve. I hope this will clear the air for readers. I will not delve into solutions for Dominica. I have read some interesting comments regarding persons’ opinions on the viability of an international airport and the viability of night landing. PM Skerrit recently stated the government will contribute to Liat, if/when this is done maybe Liat may offer more seats into Dominica. Air access into Dominica will forever remain political fodder.
Pilot , you are correct in your technical analysis. However, I would hate to think that we should be allowed to be “black mailed” by LIAT to give them tax payers’ money before they will provide more seats for Dominica. There are enough seats, Sir as you know already (…are the existing flights always full?) but not enough volume. At the prices LIAT charge they would be more than happy to put on more flights if we could offer them more passengers.
Can you confirm that all LIAT aircraft are VOR and ILS equipped and that all pilots are Instrument Rated?
(I assume that Melville Hall has ILS?)
Having recently had a night flight cancelled allegedly due to high winds (9/090KTS METAR 20/090KTS TAF), I am interested to know whether the weather, the pilots training, or reluctance to operate a flight with less than 10 passengers are the limiting factor.
Would it not be possible to land towards the sea on ILS at Melville Hall?
Any light you can shed would be much appreciated.
Go ahead ADMIN,censor my comments.There is no libel or insults in my comments but you allways remove my post.This show me that the person who seats at the computer when i post is bias if not the whole of DNO.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Beside the Francisco’s and those who hate openly the Government or perhaps a PM or a minister or even still a political party, I see some good commenters and I like that … No stone left unturned. So you see it is not as simple as ABC .. So many things to be taken into account. Subsidies, Marketing, population. Thank you and I wish more of the talkers would read the comments of those who look at all the pros and cons and not lamba ste anyone.
Guys I really even learn from you something which I may have overlooked. Thanks Bros and Sis!
WE all know that the night landing would suffer… is those blind labourites that cannot see that.
I hope they see now.
Labour Party has brought the country to its knees dragging and “gwee-g-ing” on a cold concrete floor (try to imagine that)…that’s what they wanted.
Please look at the bigger picture,the ones who control the economy will not allow an international airport in Dominica.They will loose the grip of the economy and will not be able to have Dominicans as slaves.The politician will not build it because they want to keep the people poor and dipendant on them.You got my point.
TO MAKE THE STORY SHORT :
– yes, night landing at Melville Hall at night is dangerous
– no, night landing was not a crucial need and has no impact on the economy
– no, it is not easy to build and international airport in DA ( no flat land wide enough for that)
– no, an international airport,( at least for the time being ), would not improve the economical situation because DA cannot accomodate mass tourism :
no infrastructures, no large white sand beaches, no night life, poorly trained staff in hotels and restaurants, no consistency between the people behaviour in their everyday’s life and the so wanted ecotourism image for Dominica, insecurity issues, …
But, things may change one day ; I do want to be permanently negative !
Night flights are often considered an essential element of airline networks. Long haul passengers who want to arrive in Dominica at the beginning of the day often need to land during the night, especially when they arrive at a transfer airport such as SJU International in Puerto Rico, etc. from where they take another flight to their final destination DA.
However, although the noise Night Flights can create can be detrimental to human well-being as it causes sleep disturbance, increase in medicine use, stress and (environmental) insomnia. Around Melville Hall Airport, does not have a large enough number of people, that there should be a worry of people being affected by aircraft noise during the night time.
As in some industrialized countries, namely the UK, The Government is reviewing its limit on the number of night flights allowed at Heathrow; this exercise endeavors to quantify the costs and benefits to the UK of a ban on night flights at Heathrow before 6.00am. It uses social cost benefit analysis (SCBA) to do so. SCBA systematically identifies all the direct, indirect and external effects of a night flight ban and expresses them in monetary terms so that the net costs or benefits can be calculated. It uses the broad definition of welfare, in which all items that add to the well-being of the society are benefits, and all items that decrease well-being are costs. The boundaries of SCBA presented here are UK welfare effects. The presented SCBA is a quick scan SCBA, based on values from the literature.
Dominica should assess the costs and benefits of a night flight before unsearched, and uninformed ideas against a baseline scenario in which the current status quo is continued. Airlines and passengers can respond in several ways to a non-night flight ban. I can identify three (3) extremes:
Some flights and connections are rescheduled to nighttime operations.
Some flights should be rescheduled to nighttime operations, which would avoid some connections lost, leading to an increase in the number of transfer passengers coming into Dominica.
All flights currently arriving or departing during the night should be the standard/status quo for other airlines contemplating the move.
Most responses are likely to fall within these boundaries. Likewise, the revenue benefits of a night flight ban are likely to outweigh the costs, but not the benefits of these extremes.
He expresses Mr. Minister like a near illiterate. Sentence structure terrible and contorted.
We were told that a test match could not be played here because not enough hotel rooms. Then we were told austrailia can’t play here because they travel with alot of supporters and not enough place to put them. People anything new have challenges just as the stadium was new so is night landing. What gets me most is when we (so called Dominicans) happy to hear failure or things not going as planned. It’s like Rush Limbar a white man wishing Obama to fail, well with that what do you expect. If Dominica fails you so do you but again what happen to suggestions if not heard repeat, if not heard change the government and hope to God that they make all your wishes comes true. To me the closest thing to perfect is this island Dominica and the furthest thing from perfect is it’s people.
all you and all you night landing,not me that landing DA in the night at all!!!!!!!!!!!!
MR DODDS WHEN LAST WERE YOU IN DOMINICA,,,,,,MANY YEARS I KNOW,,,,,KINDLY COME TO ARRIVE IN DOMINICA SAME DAY THROUGH NIGHT LANDING AND TELL ME YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY FOR NOT OVERNIGHTING ….WESLEY AWAITS YOUR TANGIBLE CONTRIBUTION NOT TALK,TALK,TALK…I WELL HAPPY , I MAKING FULL USE OF LANDING UNDER LIGHTS,HA,HA
Birds of a feather flock. Now we know who this appologist is. Another dishonest individual looking for a life line from Skerrit.
Mr. Douglas, Dominicans failed to realise that , we are Dominica. The amount of crimes on the island are scaring away our tourists.
Dominicans don’t behave civilised in public areas and at the airports on certain islands. I can tell you that the nasty behaviour our people have towards travel at the international hubs are circulating in the travel industry and Airlines do not want that drama. I work for airline and many say that they’ll never land on Dominica if they’re attitude is soo negative, we hold a reputation for our negative attitude.
You’ll see the majority of tourists transiting to Dominica everyday from larger planes which mens that we have the capability of 3 jets a week.
Tourism product starts with us and not the government.
Bravo Ryan, you mean to tell us that that we should invest in a fully-fledged international airport for 3 jts a week? You are not really serious about that are you?
Ian Douglas, shut up!
Depending on your night landings, Dominica’s travel problems will never be resolved even in a thousand years!
Night landing at Melville Hall Airport is a waste of time, you can add a billion lights to provide extraterrestrials out of space to see Dominica at night, that will not cause any more landings at the airport, any later than seven or eight o’clock at night
Long before your landing lights, aircrafts landed there way after seven o’clock at night, so what’s the difference, LIAT does not fly after midnight out of Antigua, anyway, so what’s the point of all the crap you are you babbling about?
What is needed in Dominica is an International Airport, that will allow people to get direct flights from Europe, and North America!
Anything outside of that is a total waste of time, it a lost cause, it is time that our nation accepts that.
Ian Douglas, what you are concentrating on is an obstacle in the way of Development in the country, there is no excuse for the backward state in which our nation finds itself in the twenty-first century!
You have a big mouth, your jaws are very wide, when the UWP decided to build an International Airport in the country when it was more affordable; you ran your mouth off talking telling people how it was too expensive and ” what we need was soft loans without interest payments,” and how there are plenty of places where you and Rosie, and the members of the then opposition could find these loans.
You people lied, in the first place where on this planet could you (Ian Douglas) get a bank to lend you money only to pay back the principle only, without interest?
When people lie as you have done in the past, and continues to be a liar, it usually comes back to haunt them.
Our nation lack of International Airport has become you nightmare, and will plague you for the rest of your life; Portsmouth people will soon find out that your kind serves no purpose in the country except, running off your mouth lying through your teeth!
They will step on your head in the interim boy and you will know how it feels to be out of a job, for as far as I hear you pose a lawyer, but you do not know squat about law, that is why you are know to be the only man in Dominica who know how to read the English language from right to left efficiently I may add, and in reverse from the bottom to the top!
I will never forget you boy, you could not even deliver a message I gave you I gave you to deliver to Skerrit, thus Dominica loose out on a annual film festival which could have provided some well wanted jobs in the country.
I am not very found of you!
D’onde es nuestro internaciional aeropuerto?
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque.
you must be an idiot to think that what Dominica needs is an International Airport..Have you taken in consideration the financial strain that would be imposeed on the country ? Do you know of how costly its is to maintain such facility ? Before you demand others to shut up, you should do a survey of the cost of construction, then an annual maintenance cost… countries like Antigua have an international airport and they are struggling to maintain it although tourism is booming there…so before asking anyone to shut up, YOU SHOULD SHUT UP..
Wish i could shake your Big Toe..well said and well laided out…they have sucked the blood of the innocent Dominica to the core!
Not trying to be devil’s advocate here, but when Mrs Charles was trying to get aid from the US to build an international airport, Did the United Workers Party not try their best to prevent this from happening?
Keep in mind that I take no part in politics, but just a realist.
Francisco go build an International Airport yourself and get the money to build it. And stop spewing hatred for a man like you I consider educated, you only showing how you hate people. In the first place it was the UWP who prevented the Americans from building an International Airport when they wrote to American Embassy to say that this would interfere with election. Do you have memoire poule or what???? Before you hit the man and insult him so ( You have no respect)get your facts straight.
Again I say Francisco leave your comfort zone and come and do somethin tangible for your country. You all like talking and parllering and that is all and those of us who stay back home and you have the audacity to say thatour nation is in a backward state in the 21st century. Taking into cccount what is happenning in Greece and the other parts of the World, I can safely thank you Heavenly Father for so many positive we do have in our country – Lovely Dominica. The Almighty is looking down on us and we are an ungratteful and unthankful people. Franciso when last did you visit. Yes like everything else we have issues but not to the extent you and some others would like to paint. Malge sa. Elas to patriotics like you and the others who only wants to be in the spotlight – to show off IIII I am intelligent. No guys there are other intelligent people like you all and also common sense as well and who also Love God and doesnot want to take his glory for I and I. All the Glory and honour belongs to the Father who made Heaven and Earth and we have so much we should thank him for and first and foremost for grace which we do not deserve.
The tourism minister said “Liat has explained that it has limited planes with night landing capability, and that some of its pilots have to undergo training to use the navigational instruments involved.” I want to ask Ian how is it that this same LIAT lands in Antigua at night which they have been doing for decades? Is night landing different in other countries than in Dominica? Do they use different pilots for Dominica? What a laugh.I guess for Ian, all Dominicans are idiots.
Landing and Night Landing is done differently in all ports. Think of the approach to Dominica, a mountainous island to a flat island with a longer runway as Antigua also, take into consideration environmental factors as rain, winds and poor visibility which is prevalent in Dominica.
LIAT has held the number one place in Flight Safety, lets keep it that way, Pilots need to be trained to familiarise themselves with the route, you cant just fly into a place like a renegade and then after you will blame liat for for any consequence. Think first before you type.
i hope u know is the runway via east facing the sea , that is used for night landing the problem they will maybe faced once in awhile is if it have high winds, nothing to do with mountain, if they landing via the runway facing the mountain i will agree to ur statement
Thats why we need an international airport which is much larger ,longer, better lighted and safter. Try to analyze people’s post before you attempt to respond. Read in between the lines.(if you can ) In other words Antigua got an international airport . Thats the difference. lol
My friend LIAT pilots are not fly by sight pilots. They fly with the aid of intruments Pilots round the world land in conditions where visibilty is minimal and they do so with instruments. They know before hand how long every runway they are to land on is. They know the angles of approach and I can go on and on
Ryan I salute you for your common sense
Asterix, thanks for your comment the final part should be corrected. Pilots fly using aid of instruments but, all Airlines including LIAT do have a right to Flight Safety procedures and it’s in the best interest of the Customer.
Your comment is noted and is a good come back.
You people again with this International Airport!!!!
First of all do you all Know the operating costs of such facilities?
Yes it may seem to be an easy fix to the problem but its not! Dominica has nothing to attract a vast number of stay-over tourists, so therefore they’re limited seats available into the country. BECAUSE, no airline in the world is gonna operate a jetliner filled with 10,000+ gallons of fuel into Dominica just to carry 15 passengers. Its a huge lost! I mean c’mon, if the need for more seats were that important, American Eagle would have seen the opportunity to increase the frequency of the daily flights from (1) to 2 or more, like they do during the holidays. Why do you think the prices are so high, its because they airline has to cover their expenses cuz the flights are rarely full capacity.
And, lets say we get an international airport, Do you think British Airways or Virgin is just gonna say, “lets add Dominica to our service route”,nope they’re first gonna look to see if there is a market, which we all know that there isn’t one. And passengers aren’t just gonna decide to fly to Dominica because there’s a direct flight.
BUT>>>>>> What we do need to do in Dominica is to CREATE A MARKET!!!!! There is basically no night life in Dominica,and being on that topic, do you guys see how dark it is in Dominica at nite???? People travel to these caribbean locations to have fun, not seat in the dark. Domlec needs to install like a million or more lamp poles, get some light in the place. Then there’s the part about entertainment. We need casinos, strip clubs, bars, restaurants, lounges, and so on. The people need to seek business ventures, open up these businesses. Shopping is another point, I want to visit Dominica and shop other things besides souvenirs. I want to walk into Ralph Lauren Store in Roseau. Oh Gosh a CINEMA!!! I honestly believe Dominica is the only country without a Cinema aka movie house. Yes the so called Christians will not agree to open this kinda businesses, but nobody int send them there, and there will ALWAYS be sinners! Just pray for them-end of story.
WE need a night life!!!!, Tourism is not all about Jungle Tours and Spa’s…its about having fun in all ways possible. Dominica is SHUT DOWN from 5PM, we NEED to stop this if we intend to grow economically. Yes,there’s gonna be an increase in crime,we deal with that by shaking up our laid back police force.
We also need to clean up the place, get rid of all those damaged buildings, fix the roads, do some landscaping around.All those Nasty looking restaurants in Roseau, shut them down if they are not brought up to standard. Make the place look nice.
Its time the Gorvenment GROW SOME BALLs and do something!! They travel abroad ever so often, to not notice the difference between Dominica and our neighboring islands.
So my people of Dominica, before we jump to silly conclusions and suggest an international airport is what the Country needs,we need to ask ourselves, IS THIS PLACE MARKETABLE?
You make some excellent points. I believe that there’s a certain pervasive way of thinking and approaching development in Dominica that has been constant during the last 50 years. It’s only now that we’re witnessing significat changes with some of our infrastructure like roads and bridges.
There’s still a one-way bridge leading out of Marigot with no sinage or illumination. And think of how long LIAT made the move to their DASH 8 Aircraft landing at Melville Hall versus Canefield.
Anthony, could not agree more. Every time I go to Melville Hall and pass that bridge I crinch and feel embarrassed. Is this the image we want to portray upon arriving in our country? I always wonder what impression this gives to a potential investor upon his first visit to Dominica. Words like Safety, Reliability, Confidence, Efficiency come to mind. Where are our priorities?
Ishmael I have to disagree with you on the point you made “ it is only now that we are seeing significant infrastructural changes”. Has the DLP government undertook some infrastructural projects – yes absolutely but your statement indicate that neither the UWP nor the Freedom party paid attention to infrastructural projects. First of infrastructure is government’s sole and fundamental responsibility so it is due time that we stop measuring government performance based on particularly rehabilitated road projects ,a sea wall, patched up existing roads, or a bridge every so often. If my memory serves me right the freedom party undertook some major needed infrastructural project and without spending time stating all the major infrastructural project Dominica’s economic survival for the last 12 years has bees been hinged on the cruise ship facility built by the DFP of Mary Eugenia Charles. Again I could mention many more projects ( feeder roads bridges, major roadways , utilities all built by the Freedom party. The UWP within 4 years had established and implemented several infrastructural projects as well – roadways, farm roads, utilities, bridges etc. It is important to note however that there is one significant difference between the then and now and that is – money was flowing within the country, people were employed and the economy was thriving.
Ishmael, infrastructural development will always be a necessity particularly in countries like ours where the environmental elements are not very kind to our infrastructure and most often with our limited financial and technological resources, the projects procured does not meet the quality standards that would insure durability. As noted infrastructure development/ capital projects is the sole responsibility Governments all over and even in the developed countries in north America and Europe , Asia governments continue to build infrastructural facilities. When governments use the very same projects to create jobs and spark economic growth then we can say fete accompli
Added to these issues, tourism officials made a disasterous decision when they decided to market the island as an eco-tourist destination. No plans were made for entertainment whatsoever. It’s not a concept that we understand very well.
The best comment ever and on point i give you 99%. I held back 1% for this reason, i can guarantee you any governemt with such (balls) will be out of office as soon as the church notices what’s going on, so failure there and who ever in opposition will run with it confusing the minds of the ignorant.
Right on point… say it louder!!!!!
(CB BOY) I WITH I COULD MEET U N VOTE U THE PM .THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT U ARE SO TRUE TRUE TRUE THATS HOW IT SHOULD BE BEFOR WE GET THAT INT…AIRPORT
thats great to hear! I always wish i could be Dominica’s PM in the near future but i can’t due to my Duo Citizenship. They would chop me up like beef cause I have 3 flags. But tell you what, you can run and i’d be your adviser.
LOVE…..LOVE….LOVE YOUR COMMENT…THESE ARE THEN KIND OF SUGGESTION PEOPLE NEED TO VOICE ………
I totally agree with everything you say, could not be better put! How can we get someone in authority to listen, thats the problem. Another writer points out the mistake the authorities made by pushing Dominica as mainly eco-tourism. I tend to agree with that comment also, Dominica is beautiful and unspoilt and no question visitors love that and this is one aspect people want to see but I believe the vast majority of people love beaches, they bring their kids to build sandcastles and many just want to laze about and relax by a beach to contrast their hectic lives. We have some beautiful beaches but not promoting them to families or anyone else, so we are wrongly known as the island with no beaches. Why can’t we have the eco ‘niche’ market running side by side with the bucket and spade lovers. Unfortunately, we may have lost that opportunity to promote our beaches as robbers are now claiming the beaches as theirs.
In this present climate where airlines all over the world are loosing millions why would Antigua..St Lucia..etc., want to push for late flights to Dominica when they can make lots of money from travellers overnighting in their hotels, eating in their restaurants and making all those phone calls to our hotels saying they have to overnight. We can’t leave it to the airlines if they cannot see a benefit for them, Dominica has to effectively market and promote the island to create the demand, to get bums on seats.
YOU NEED A TWO WAY LANDING AND TAKE OFF FOR NIGHT LANDING OF PASSANGER AIRCRAFT, AT THE MOMENT THERE IS ONLY ONEWAY TAKE OFF AT MELVILLEHALL,
IF THE PILOT HAS TO ABORT A LANDIN WHEN LANDING FROM THE SEA IT WILL RESULT IN PROBLEM, THRE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR CLEARING HILLS AND MOUNTAINS THAT SURROND MELVILLE hALL, IT WILL BE HARD TO GET AIRLINES LIKE THE EAGLE LANDING THERE AT NIGHT
While I must admit that there must be a lot more money invested in marketing Dominica on an international level. What I understand from the short except from Liat in this article was that they do not have the capability to handle the demand of night landing.
In the past few weeks I went back and forth on a few night flights and they were all full. So the market for the night flight is there. As someone said before we need to attract a few other airline to start coming to Dominica and stop depending solely or almost solely on Liat for servicing Dominica. If there was a little more competition I think the high prices would go down as well and Liat would make a greater effort to improve their night landing capability.
Yes Nathaniel thank you! Another common sense comment.
All that money wasted again, that Government is no good.
Morihei Ueshiba I think you need to read the comments by soome persons who speak about marketing like Nathaniel, titiwi Inn etc and not indulge yourself in blame game.. Thumbs down for you for just saying the Government not good. There are a lot of factors to be taken into account before investing in an International Airport. Some International airports have fallen prey to problems – financially because of non travel of persons. LIAT high fees and others are a direct example of that. If price is high, then persons don’t travel. Then it becomes unprofitable.
stop looking at an international airport as a direct money making facility but for its indirect impact ( forming of backward and forward linkages)with other sectors of the economy.
An airport is a facilitator of economic development just like building a road , school, hospital etc..
Is only Dominicans believe that an airport has to make profits. Again anything that comes out of the PM mouth them jokers repeat.
Dominicans think for yourself.
So wait, we had no strategy before setting up night landing and no airlines lined up for it? No marketing, advertising, probability calculations on number of passengers, possibility of attracting more airlines or landings at night, nothing? We just build and that’s it? I’m disappointed on that front. I am however happy to not have to sleep anywhere else but Dominica when I travel. To be be honest, many Dominicans do not travel and we do not attract enough tourists to increase more flights at night. It would be a loss to any airline to land in Dominica after a certain time. Until we market and promote Dominica and get proper accommodation and protection for visitors then I’m afraid, in my opinion, this will remain the same. And we need an international airport once we can attract enough tourists. Tourists don’t like the drama it takes to get to Dominica. I travel less because of it and I am Dominican. Plus it’s additional costs that people just don’t need in these credit crisis times. Simple as that
Thumb up
I see some nonsense there :
– pilots do not need extra training to land at night ; they must be IMC qualified to be commercial pilots anyway !
They are probably reluctant from landing at Melville Hall at night ; landing on RWY 27 towards mountains in darkness ! with the wind coming from behind ; because that is indeed very dangerous, especially in case of “go around”
Melville Hall has no special navigation facilities anyway ; so qualification for what ??? : just a single NDB.
No VOR, no ILS, no radar … know what I mean !
All this confirm what I said so many times already ; DA did’nt need this night landing ; it is dangerous and for most passengers, not realy needed .
In my flight bag, I have a very nice GPS Approach Plate for Melville Hall. You do need to have a certified GPS aboard the aircraft.
Dominica has already 2 international airports at his door : One in Guada, other in Martnik !
Only need to organise if possible a National Company having regular flights from there, in accordance with main shedules, day or night is not the matter, to catch all international tourism transit from Europa, States, Canada, Latin America, even China whom flights have permanent transit in those airports, and avoid the passengers have to overnight in neibouring islands.. It could be also a great help for Dominican Tourism if “la Navette des Iles” could be doubled by a Dominican maritime Company in view to organise, in the same way, regular and sure transit from airports to their boats at affordable time and assume crossing channel, even two or three times a weeck!
Why to spend more to have less ?
I don’t want to say something for people to think it is politically motivated or crying on peoples spilt milk.. but why renovate or upgrade a hugely outdated airport? That thing needed to be completely thought out, just build something good, modern dependable. So there won’t be any reason for people to complain about capabilities, just build it and they’ll come.
For the same reason you haven’t rebuilt your home instead you renovate. I wonder if you think your old house needs rebuilding why don’t you go find the money to rebuild take a loan man that’s easy. When you build your house no one will have any excuse to come to your home weather you have debt or not go ahead my friend indulge.
More comedy central in Dominica. They made big celebration, put president and all on “inaugural” flight. But like I always say to people, when them fellas lie through their teeth for Dominicans, what is going to happen later when the truth shows its face?
Alot more truths will show up in time to come. I will hear about allu and allu PM.
…wonder why the P.M. was not on that inaugural flight but invited the President instead? Maybe he is smarter than we think!
I would like to know where is shermin green, i tell you when they had that nonesence going on you all should hear this woman how she was going on and up till now Dominica yet to have serious night landing,don’t worry Ian your time coming to an end everyone of you because no liesssssss live forever
Mr minister what I and we all need is to be able to come to Dominica in one Day from Miami leave in the morning from Miami and get to Dominica direct no San Juan.
If I am off for a weekend I cannot even think of coming to Dominica, I go to St Lucia or Barbados of Trinidad or Antigua or Somewhere else Direct where I can be in a few hours. night landing won’t cut it, waste of time mate
Let’s start tieing goats on the airport. Waste of money. The government is just upside down and they are doing things back to front….
Zor Mi Cochoni Dominique. LiAT Landing every where else at night and they need special training to land in Dominica. If the pilots need special training does that mean they need special passengers cause it seem like LIAT is considering this as either espionage or suicide mission. Specially trained pilots – weh papa. What is the next excuse- it was first equipment, then it was aviation authority, now it’s wind and special pilot.
Landing at melville hall airport is suicideal
no no dont think so not good for us
at nights sory
International airport or not….Night landing facility or not, flights will not be increased into Dominica if there are no passengers to be taken into and out of Dominica.
Greater marketing, Mr. Minister! We have been saying this for too many years now. Spend the money to market the island. Then, airlines may have added reasons to make greater use of the night landing facility.
I would like to inform Mr Douglas and Mr Piper to first get their facts streght befor lambasing LIAT. 1) liat has had two night flight every day LI309 at 7.00pm and LI768 at 7.20pm, so Mr.Piper thats 14 night flights a week compair to your beloved BVI 3 a week and this has been on since liat started coming in at nights,and i know you have friends at liat you can call to confirm that right now even though you dont like liat.
On the question of liat using melville hall more at nights, is ont hings but at what cost, then its the same people who crydown Liat for not making money, check the loads, is it worth it puting in more flights to come in empty and/or having to cancel due to heavy winds which have been happening very very often, ECCAA does not allowed landing at nights in Melville Hall with winds above 10 knots,for your info, it was 18 lastnight, so guess what (thats where i come in) Taxi service for passengers/ hotel stay in all the islands that have to deal with passengers on these flights including Dominica,
Because of Melville Hall situation, special equipments had to be put in place and most of liats pilots are trained to land there, and MR Douglas and Mr Piper, as an airport operator i also know other things that Liat has no control over that affects the night operations, without Liat taxies dont make money. I always here the Liat complaining that the DASPA staff is always rushing them out of the airport, even locking them in at the back, they sometimes have to leave work undone, i also know of they haveing to put a chair between the back office door to prevent the doors from locking them inside after a flight came in very late, is that liat fault. now there is one major issue that is affecting the night landing, as a Dominican i will not put in on here, i just hope DASPA fix it befor something happens.
Ok Taxi man thanks for the info. DASPA – Mr Bardouille get this thing in order. Tell your employees that they are paid to work and workers here in Dominica need to take their work seriously. I know what I am talking about!
Would love to know why are helecopter landing. Here at 11and leaving 1am in the morning some special peplel. Private business
Really . The usually efficient DLP didn’t figure that out. How did they not realize that they were wasting 120 million
DNO should investigate why American Eagle an American registered airline operating under the Federal Aviation Administration rules & regulations will not land in Dominica at night!
Is it true US registered airlines do not feel Night Landing is “Safe” in Dominica? Has the FAA approved US carriers to operate commercial flights at night into Dominica?
Night landing has been a complete failure! St Vincent & The Grenadines are moving ahead with New Argyle International Airport scheduled to open in 2014 replacing the obsolete smaller airport. St Vincent & The Grenadines will be able to handle medium and long range jets! Dominica will be the only “Independent” Caribbean with no “International Airport” with jetservice, thats something Dominica can be proud of. Its embrassing for us while we make no progress while other islands are moving ahead to the next level.
St Vincent & the grenadines have 130,000 people and Dominica have 70,00 people. I would say that gives them a bit of an advantage.
Another new DLP govt project gone bust!! What are Dominicans waiting for to see these guys are taking them for a ride? maybe when the Treasury runs dry!!
Sad state of affiars we r living in.
Question: Are there are lines of passengers waiting to come in at night, but Liat and the other airlines not bringing them in. Are the few flights that are coming in at nights packed to capacity?
Another Question? When people come in at night, where they going to sleep if they too tired to drive or ride to Roseau or Possie? In the airport terminal? in the parking lot?
On a different note, I wonder how the Moroccan Hotel thing doing? Are people lining up to check in? Just asking. I think there is too much politics in everything in DA..
american’s travel to many obscure parts of the world if the product is right….there are resorts in thialand that it take 2 days to get to yet many americans and european wait in line to get to these destinations……onless dominica develops a product that is right there will not be many stay overs to that distination
Training? Like most DA’ans, I am a true patriot, but we cannot deny that the airport is just poorly situated – from day one. Besides the difficulties presented during the day as a result of location, night landing becomes more troublesome…it is not only about lights and navigational panel.
I was talking to a pilot a few months ago. He told me that pilots flying into DA at night must overly compensate as a result of wind convection. Now, moin pas expert, but si pilot tells me night landing in DA problematic, I will sleep over in Antigua or PR. Just because moin DA’an does not mean I have to show my patriotic backbone on this night landing thing. please
I suspect all the training in the world,will not solve the problem.
We cannot keep putting all our eggs into Liat’s basket. We need to lengthen the runway so we will be able to attract other airlines such as Redjet to land in DA. If Liat were to go under what is DA going to do?
so thats what we goign to do with an international airport as u all can see we have night landing and we still not seeing an increase in flights what we gonna do when we go and build an international airport OH I KNOW WE CAN USE IT AS A DRAG RACING STRIP I BUILDING A RACE CAR IN DCA I NEED A PLACE TO TEST IT
One question, what does Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Vincent, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, and lots of other Caribbean islands have that Dominica doesn’t? … An international airport
We also have a cricket stadium that is vastly under-utilized! You can build as many international airports as you want but if you do not attract sufficient volume of traffic to pay for it you simply end up with another white elephant. Ask Grenada!
What do they also do as well? They market themselves. No airline is going to land in a place nobody wants to go to. 60,000 people can’t support an international airport. If you think I lying ask St. Kitts and their white elephant.
makes complete sense
YES WE NEED AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD AIRSTRIP
BUT WE ALSO NEED OUR OWN PLANES ,OUR OWN AIRLINE ALL THOSE TALKERS WE HAVE IN DOMINICA SHOULD PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS AND INVEST IN AN AIRLINE .
THE THING IS THE AIR ROUTES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO HELP DOMINICA AND WE ARE AT A GREAT DISADVANTAGE. THOSE PEOPLE KNOW THAT NIGHT LANDING WOULD AFFECT THEIR OVERNIGHTERS AND WOULD REDUCE THEIR HOTEL OCCUPANCY,IF WE GET MORE NIGHT LANDING .AS NEW COMMERS NO ONE IS GOING TO DO US ANY FAVOURS THAT WILL REDUCE THEIR ADVANTAGE AND INCIOME.WE HAVE TO REALISE THAT WE HAVE TO WORK HARD AT THIS .THE TRAVEL BUSINESS IS A DOG EAT DOG COMPETITION
Maybe you are not aware but this has been tried also. Caribbean Island Express, Cardinal Airlines and as recent as Nov. 2008 Sisserou Airways. Three local airlines, all gone with the wind!
Correction: Nature Island Express (instead of Caribbean Island Express).
and debt
That is it plain and simple. I just don’t know when the people that have foresight and fivesight will see that until this NATURE ISLAND that is so pure and green do something about it’s airport, it will remain but an isolated article in tourism markets around the globe!
And i dont think that Dominica is marketed well enough to the outside world.
Also they have a lot more people than Dominica, not to mention most of them have a more developed tourism industry.
I agree with you totally. Could not have said it better my self.
Yet shortsighted and lack of imagination. We can not leave up to the airlines to increase night flights. Bi-lateral agreement with other governments (if needed) and other airlines operating in the region is whats required.
We have Caribbean Airlines operating through the usual suspects of St Lucia, barbados, antigua etc and Air Caraibes operating thru Martinigue and Guadeloupe and others. Do we lack the ability to negotiate or lack the foresight to find other routes to gain access to our biggest markets Europe, America and soon to be Asia Pacific
COME ON, GET YOUR ROLLER SCATES ON
Govt should hire you as the tourism productivity consultant. may be this way they can’t stop wasting tax payer money and get something done. great idea
Yes and can we afford to pay subsidies to the airlines for landing at the international airport you want? St. Lucia and Trinidad for example are indebted to AA for empty airline seats. And they are not alone.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Nice comments I like that … No stone left unturned. So you see it is not as simple as ABC .. So many things to be taken into account. Subsidies, Marketing, population. Thank you and I wish more of the talkers would read the comments of those who look at all the pros and cons and not lambaste anyone.
ummmm…..its roller SKATES!!!!!
Apparently it seems like the airlines will have to start making humans in other to make frequent drop offs. How can the airlines come in when travelers have no good reason for coming here. Hey guess what, if the product is right, then customers will patronize. No two ways about this!!
i tend to disagree somewhat.you maybe never had to overnight in antigua or some other country on your way home as yet.recently i had to overnight in antigua on my way to dominica and i wasnt the only traveler.just saying.
The onus is on the airlines to land in Dominica, however, it is our responsibility to market the product effectively. This is a costly endeavor that requires travel to key countries to do presentations etc. But I think we can and should try it out.
A dear friend who went to grad school with me works at the airport in St. Martin and that is actually her job. Maybe we can reach out to other islands and see what they are doing in an effort to develop marketing initiatives that work.
I am all about having an international airport but concerned about our ability to maintain it. The huge airlines will not pay the exorbitant prices for landing rights with a fraction of the people on board going to Dominica. Also we need to have an up-to-date emergency/medical facility in the area, more hotels to accommodate guests and flight attendants if that’s the final destination for the night etc.
So for now we should do with what we have and find ways to make it work.
I fully concur with what you have stated in your comment. No need to talk about international airport when the country as a whole is unable to provide facilities as mentioned right now that are conducive to such operations. Maybe later in the future.
In recent years I’ve travelled from Montevideo to St Petersburg in the Baltic,and Dominica 4 times. Dominica has lots to offer,and certainly more than many of those exotic destinations ,we all long to see. Dominica must market itself and its unique product to the right people,and try not to be in competition with the other Sand and Sea Caribbean Islands. I’ve posted more photos of Dominica on the internet, than I have of my own homeland.
“The tourism minister said LIAT has explained that it has limited planes with night landing capability, and that some of its pilots have to undergo training to use the navigational instruments involved”. This is a big Lie. Don’t LIAT pilots land in TNT, Barbados, Puerto Rico and Antigua at nights already? What more training do they need?.There must be other underlying factors and Ian falling for that.
they a all international airports.melville hall airport is not.It is a risk landing in the day,so i dont blame them if they do not want to land at night.safety is the best policy!
All pilots have to be trained to land in dominica before they can do it on their own
You are right. Load factor is the issue here. There is just not enough passenger demand for Dominica at present.
You’re clearly a moron, and lack any type of aeronautical knowledge, so what bash them if you know nothing.
Did you know that landing at melville hall at night would require an approach from runway 29?
Did you know that landing from runway 29 would yield a tail wind, causing faster approach speeds, thus the aircraft needing more runway to stop?
Did you know that take-off from runway 29 is prohibited, much less a go-around.
Did you know that obstacles called mountains and trees along with the downdraft at the approach into runway 9 makes it very hazardous at day, and even worst at night?
Well now you know. Stop trying to blame it on the airline, and blame it on the architects that selected location and orientation of the airport. It would have been much easier to build a runway perpendicular to 9/27. Maybe then we would get Commercial Aircraft and not regional props.
Bigger Moron. Didn’t you read that I said “there must be other underlying factors.”
With all that you know you can do nothing to change the status quo.
We will continue to lag behind because of people like you who are bandwagon jumpers but not movers or shakers. Unless we begin to require our leaders to give accountability for the election mandate given to them we will get nowhere.
Only bigger Morons like you comment before you analyse what other people say. Didn’t you read that In said” There must be other underlying factors”? You seem to know so much about Aeronautics why aren’t you a consultant to government to help them resolve those Airport and Air Traffic issues that plague Dominica?
“The tourism minister said Liat has explained that it has limited planes with night landing capability, and that some of its pilots have to undergo training to use the navigational instruments involved.”
But what* I hearing there nuh? LIAT has to train its pilots to use navigational equipment? I thought that was a requirement to be certified to fly for LIAT.
I have to agree with you, but then again I would like to hear that from LIAT themselves. My point is I have landed in Trinidad at 9 p.m. on LIAT so is it the equipment at MHA that the pilots needs to get familiar with? And even that seems a bit strange. The fact is if there are conditions that prevents night landing then say so, if it is because the facility is new and not many flights scheduled for the time being then say so, because these things takes planning but it’s been some time and the shout and wail that was made at the inception have yet to make a difference for night landing and increase arrivals!
Dominica needs an internation Airport. The Run way is too short. The wind factor restricts Airlines from landing into Melville Hall Airport. The ECCAA advised that if the winds are over 10 knotts, it is undavisible to land at Melville hall.
Solution: Construct a JetPort which is a landing strip capable to acommodate larger Aircraft with a link to Melville hall airport, it will also solve the wind problem we have and we will have options of travel.
Which larger aircraft will land at Melville Halls with the same frequency as LIAT? So if we had a longer airstrip and there are no jet planes scheduled to land for another 5 days, would that make a difference to people who are stranded in Antigua or Barbados due to unfavorable conditions in Dominica?
Don’t some of you people think before you write?
you are the one not thinking, most of the people stranded in barbados and antigua, are coming from the states, europe or other major destinations, first of all, I would rather be stranded in Antigua for a week than to land in Dominica at night with that death trap runway with some lights on it. First they need to improve the medical facilities in the area, then they need to build more accomodations, then when you have a longer air strip, the weather is not going to be that much of an issue, it rains in St. Lucia the same amount as in Dominica, the difference is the airport is constructed so that weather is not an issue. Shouldn’t have to go back to PR every time it is raining in Dominica, this whole thing is short sighted, they should have seen that coming
It is such MYOPIC VIEWPOINTS AS YOURS that will never see Dominica advance. If we sit back and project such ridiculous thoughts that LIAT is the only airline that has served in the past, and hence we should limit facilities to accomodate them, then Dominica will truly be the only island that Colimbus will recognize upon his return!
If we pursue a Jet Port like the reader stated then we will be compelled to get of our ” LAURELLS” and market Dominica for what it it. Maybe then some of Ministers will have jobs to do!
I SO AGREE WITH YOU!!! These people need to first of all travel, and know some simple economic strategies. Because any dotish will know that they’ll not full a jetliner with 10,000 gallons(gesture) of fuel, and fly 15 passengers to Dominica. its a HUGE LOSS!!!
Liat has 2 nights flights Mr Iann Douglas. One that from Antigua arriving Dominica at 7:00 pm and the other one from St. Lucia arriving at 7:15 pm. The only problem is that if the wind is too high they are not able to land. Also Mr. Douglas we as Dominicans need to market Dominica more.
Still fresh give it more time, maybe more promo needs to be done.
de dan: well, well, well this needs to be laugh at, Mr.Ian Doglast you are so good at what you say and do!!!! I do hope you found the cup of water that the P.M send you for.
Promotion? lol
promotion for what? For people to schedule to land Dominica in the night?lol. What so special in that?On the contrary its a risk.
Sorry just had to say,Promotion is not the word!!!!