Tourism officials eye improving air access to Dominica

Between 65 and 70 percent of travelers to Dominica use LIAT
Between 65 and 70 percent of travelers to Dominica use LIAT

Tourism Director, Colin Piper, has revealed the intention of the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) to diversify the means of air travel into Dominica.

“What we are also doing is looking at other options and avenues to diversify the reliance in air travel into Dominica, from LIAT,” he said, on DBS’s ‘Talking Point’ program, on Tuesday.

He stated that the DDA plans to encourage other airlines to increase their services to Dominica.

“We do have WINAIR, and we do have some others that we also want to impress upon them that there is an opportunity to increase service into Dominica,” Piper remarked.

He noted, however, that LIAT, is a key partner in Dominica’s tourism industry, as between sixty-five and seventy percent of persons who travel to Dominica by air, do so via the regional airline.

Meanwhile, Piper praised LIAT for its plans to will implement a flight schedule similar to that which existed before the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, last year.

The schedule, which he referred to as a ‘silver lining’, takes effect on June 1, and affords travellers a direct route to Dominica, and mobility to and from Barbados.

“The silver lining that we see is the schedule that is supposed to take effect from June 1. That is where we get back to a pre-Erika schedule, in the sense of an evening flight from Antigua, LIAT 523, coming in, I think three or four days direct into Dominica—the other days with a stop in Pointe-à-Pitre. And then, we regain the mobility southward, to Barbados—both out of Dominica, going south to Barbados, and coming in from Barbados.”

This initiative stemmed from a meeting held between Dominican Government officials and a team from regional airline LIAT, earlier this month, to discuss better access in and out of Dominica.

The meeting came in the wake of Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit’s highly-publicized criticism of LIAT’s service to Dominica.

At the meeting, a new schedule was formulated to include the reintroduction of a direct flight to Puerto Rico four days a week, and additional flights from Barbados and Antigua, allowing for same day connections.

Piper commented that Dominica should see a better air access “providing that LIAT’s on-time performance and their reliability is improved.”

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28 Comments

  1. Tj
    May 20, 2016

    Steve your point on the departure tax is well received by me.

  2. Mamosa
    May 19, 2016

    How do they justify their salaries? Years of doing nothing.

  3. Anonymous
    May 19, 2016

    So where is all de money de PM give liat
    For night landing is Dominica a real country
    For all I’ve seen skerrit is the WORST PRIME
    MINISTER that has ever govern Dominica
    Pm please I beg of u resign if u cannot lead
    This Blessed Land before it collapse like
    VENEZUELA

  4. Kingdom Connections
    May 19, 2016

    Dominica is doomed without LIAT. LIAT is Dominica’s National Airline.

  5. May 18, 2016

    They both need to go….Dumb and dumber..smh!

  6. kalaloo
    May 18, 2016

    complete and utter failure.

  7. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    May 18, 2016

    As far as Colin is concerned the photograph of that aircraft, and the coconut tree, and red lilies, and the mountain clay and growing trees in the background is enough to flood Dominica with tourist you know!

    These people are so dumb they cannot take time out to look around them, look at he more progressive islands in the Caribbean, and figure out what they are doing, which cause their success.

    One of the ways one can make progress is to do exactly what one sees what others are doing, or has done. All Skerrit, and clowns like Tongue, and Colin does is fart from their mouth trying to impress those ignorant people who are without a productive mind, that all is well and wonderful in the country.

    Who the cap fit let him ware it!

  8. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    May 18, 2016

    “What we are also doing is looking at other options and avenues to diversify the reliance in air travel into Dominica, from LIAT,” he said, on DBS’s ‘Talking Point’ program, on Tuesday.”(Piper).

    Boy, you are simply flapping your gum again; it does not matter what other option you devise in your inferior cranium, it is dead before you stop thinking about your waste of time option. Remember one of your stupid option was to go to Nevis of all places to get help transporting passengers to Dominica? when there are no Intercontinental Flights originating in Nevis!

    You can plan, you can plot, you can fantasize, you can dream, you can even reduce tour mind into a delusion state, there is nothing you can do within your power; even if you could tie that LIAT aircraft on a leash and hang it in the middle of the sky, for the world to see as the sun rises, that will not change the status quo!

    The only alternative is the building of an International Airport.

  9. MOT
    May 18, 2016

    Mr Piper,

    Ay Ay Piper! You come out man? If you now have the power and authoritarian to direct airlines where to fly, why don’t you direct AA, Virgin Atlantic Jet Blue et al to fly the Dominica route as well? I think that’s where we need your input. And you know damn well that there is low demand for Dominica so all these useless talks will lead to nowhere!!!

  10. what is this!
    May 18, 2016

    He did not make any mention of hummingbird air. What about it nah?

  11. Tj
    May 18, 2016

    There many individuals who would like to visit DA but can, t get there. Try calling the airline that has 70 percent of the traffic and it is book or Iinconvenient if Mr. Gonsalves knew an airport was not needed would he spend the nonverbal of years to improve Johua Airport? Don’t forget he encourage you Porto labor not to advocate for a larger airport.

    We already have an international airport we need a runway long enough to accommodate long haul flights, to US and UK.
    DA should join other Caribbean neighbors we deserve it. Let us blue or red on this project . We have the purchase land.

  12. Dan Tanner
    May 18, 2016

    The best thing is the affordable departure tax.

    • May 19, 2016

      It’s a stupid tax. At least hide it in the airfare like Barbados does so that it doesn’t leave a poor final impression with tourists on their way out of the country.

  13. Chappie
    May 18, 2016

    Until we have an international airport we can’t be taken seriously. But we can’t afford one. So we have to some up with something else. I honestly think our own professionally managed fleet of small aircraft offering a regular, reliable and affordable service between Antigua, Barbados and San Juan is the best solution for Dominica.

  14. Defiant
    May 18, 2016

    I for one have decided along with some of my friends to avoid flying with LIAT at all costs. Their customer service is almost non-existant, they lie, are unprofessional in almost every way possible, are irresponsible,…. I must have forgotten something!!
    THERE ARE OTHER ways to leave/arrive on Dominica and it is time people started to investigate these possibilities rather than waiting for empty promises to materialise.
    Things will only change when we show them that we are no longer prepared to be treated as second class humans; they have shown us time and time again that they are incompetent and not to be trusted. And when I hear that Dominicans are bumped to accomodate Ross passengers it makes me cringe. It is not the Ross passengers I vex wid, it is them blasted LIAT managers.
    Many I am sure are grateful for additional flights, which SOUNDS good but that alone is not enough.

  15. Anna Prince
    May 18, 2016

    The problem is Dominica is no longer attractive to visitors. There was a time when my family members who live in the U.K. and U.S.A would make it a routine to visit Dominica every year, for more than ten years and now they have not been back for the last ten years.
    Dominica is the same old same old, nothing new, nothing attractive and the things that we boast about are deplorable. Take a walk to the Trafalgar falls or Emerald Pool and tell me if you would like to go back there after one visit, the same goes for our (FIVE STAR) hotel which is really a One Star when it comes to the class hotels in the other Caribbean islands.
    So even if we have ten planes available the main problem is the destination itself. We boast of Green but the island is dirty, service is bad and the corrupt politics is not helping because tourists do not visit corrupt destinations. Google Dominica and the corrupt deals pop up.

  16. Living outside
    May 18, 2016

    What about the international airport..are we going to continental being last in the Caribbean?

  17. Roseau River
    May 18, 2016

    That is good news. The easier it is to get in/out of DA, the better for all involved.

    In terms of improving tourism traffic… DA might get a better return on investment if we purchased our own ferry in order to target the french Islands with day trip excursions to/from Dominica. Just saying…

    • Wheel again
      May 18, 2016

      I know of a captain in the north of the island who has purchased a ferry. Unfortunately a certain bank is making this venture almost intolerable by placing many obstacles and unfair conditions in his way.

      As I type this response the ferry is being refurbished for inspection & certification so that service can begin.

      Had it been a ‘blonde, blue eyed chap’ those obstacles would not be in place but we seem to take pleasure in preventing our own from moving up the ladder.

  18. Jaded
    May 18, 2016

    It takes more than encouraging airlines to increase their services into Dominica. The question is – Is it financially feasible for them to do so? Does DA have enough traffic to warrant additional flights from other airlines?

    • Roseau River
      May 18, 2016

      The answer to your question presently is, No.

  19. Mein Kampf
    May 18, 2016

    Colin Piper how do u sleep well at nights knowing that you & Robert Tonge are not working for your paycheck in other words u are giving mediocore results for the paycheck you receive every month, u talk alot, promise alot but our tourism is last in
    the OECS… and declining. 8)

  20. john paul
    May 18, 2016

    we need an international airport.

    • Face the Facts
      May 18, 2016

      Put your money where your mouth is. Commence a fundraising for that purpose. It is a helpful step in the right direction. The sooner the better.

  21. May 18, 2016

    What activities do we have on Island at the moment and why didn’t Discover Dominica came out when we were all voicing our frustrations and where was Piper , he said this new deal was a result from the 1 man Government Skerrit’s high publicized criticism of L.I.A.T Airline , we have been doing the very same for years, so Piper you can fool some of the people some times but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.. We are very pleased that LIAT have decided to improve the services because when we book a flight for Dominica we want to arrive home the same day so I will give the 1 man Government a nod, but the move came about due to the by-election as he said he have to win so he had to make it possible for his supporters to have air access into Dominica, people it’s very clear so read between the lines, another thing wait and see what will happen with LIAT after the by-election because we will see some maneuvering again.

  22. dissident
    May 18, 2016

    De opposition UWP led by lennox Linton is way ahead of you guys.
    Johnny come lately.
    Night landing experiment failed miserably.
    That was not a tourism venture…..de morrocan hotel was supposed to be a component of the airport but we in 2016 and that too has since failed to materialise.

    De best tourism venture I see right now is selling citizenship……….I could never lose money!

  23. megso
    May 18, 2016

    The last sentence says it all. Until that happens, then all this work will be in vain.

  24. AAGabriel
    May 18, 2016

    Piper, ever since you got this job you have been looking at thing and options and doing plenty of talking. But what have you actually achieved? Give me one thing that you got of the ground that had a positive impact on the tourism industry. Dominica has been going backwards for a long time now and that includes Tourism which is your portfolio. You and Tonge make a perfect partnership!!

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