ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The Dominica government says it has been given the green light by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation (ECCA) to commence night landing after a series of test flights.
“Based on discussion with the director of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, (ECCA) this week we will get certification for landing and take-off paving the way for commercial activity thereafter… We are hoping to have an inaugural flight in due course,” Ports Minister Rayburn Blackmoore said on Tuesday.
In April, Blackmoore said that the night flights would commence in May, but that did not materalise. However he told reporters Tuesday that he had received information that all requirements set out the by regulatory body had been met, clearing the way for aircraft to begin night time schedules.
“This is a significant achievement for the people of Dominica. This air access improvement represents a major push to taking us to the next level of development as a people,” he added.
The regional airline, LIAT, last week conducted test flights into the Melville Hall Airport in the north of the island and Blackmoore said the Roosevelt Skerrit administration was grateful to the European Union and the Venezuela government for their financial and other assistance in the project.
He said the Europeans provided EC$46 million (US$17.03 million) while the Venezuelans provided machinery for the excavation work.
@Lizavier4Jesus:
I also travelled with Sky Service a few years ago for an emergency. I vowed never to travel with it again, if I can help it also the agency which booked me, the owner whom I know. I was allowed only 40 pounds. I could only carry a few pieces of clothes and shoes.
For the money I paid, I was only allowed two weeks in Dominica. That really hurt my heart, if you know what I mean.
I was fortunate though that I got a flight to Dominica the same night.
@vibes:
Stop making a fool of uself – any transport can take u from Roseau to Portsmouth. It does not have to be a Toyota alone.
Likewise it does not make sense to have a 100 passenger bus that carrying 20 people all d time.
Is people like all u that does make noise when credit union doh give all u loan and say how dem people want to know all u f_ing business.
You probably did not mine UWP putting your grandmoder under more debt – remember user fees and it still did not have bandage in hospital!!!!
Remember d building blocks jetty in Scotts Head? One hurricane and it smashup
D International Airport was a farce for a well known person to have profited with their personal stone crusher in Village and for d other one that buy over 100 acres of land ( between 1995 to 2000) and up to now Lennox doh calling his name and di girl that use to work in d duty free shop that cover tracks of a minister for house he build!!!!
D International Airport would have been a Big White Elephant all now so and d money would have finished and still not completed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For valeah bowboll that would ah pass in that Airport Construction businessmen that on radio and TV talking all now so would stay with their mouth shot for is deefay that would go in their business and they would lose everything.
@Patat: hmm you just a typical bloke who is just small minded in your ideas the world is moving forward…..
is just pure foolishness about night landing,,,,hmm ECCA should give you all a 730pm time frame…and review it from their with the days getting shorter and a dark jagger coastline,,,hmm
is the 82nd airborne of the US Airborne thats going do drops off…melville hall will be a constant NO NO in the end…..time will tell expan your brain and stop thinking in the reverse!
its folks like you who kill and have Dominica in the gutters by your small thinking and lack of taking Bigger and visionary risk to make DA move forward what the heck night landing and they so foolish and ignorant in their thinking talking about 737 etc with passengers..wow no wonder why dominica is always a big joke by the rest of the caribbean….you just thinking pure foolishness…
WHY MUST WE CONTINUE TO DEGRADE OUR COUNTRY.
WE WANT CHANGE WHEN CHANGE COEMS WE COMPLAIN AND SAY NEGATIVE THINGS
DOMINICA WILL NEVER MOVE FORWARD IF WE DNT TAKE A STEP INTO PROGRESS
WITH PRODUCTIVITY COMES CHANGE..CHANGE IS A PROCESS, ITS NOTHING INSTANTAINEOUS…..
LETS GIVE DCA A CHANCE TO RISE..WE CANT STAY DOWN FOREVER….
AM SURE IF THE GOVERNMENT SIT BACK AND DO NOTHING WE GOING TO START COMPARING DCA WITH OTHER COUNTRIES….
LET START NATION BUILDING AND ENOUGH WITH THE CRITICIZING……LETS NOT BE SHALLOW MINDED..
NTO ALL COUNTRIES HAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BUT THEY BUILT ONE AND RIGHT NOW WE CAN LAND IN ALMOST ANY OF THEM WITH NO PROBLEMS ..SO GIVE DCA A CHANCE..IF GODS WILING ONE DAY I WILL TAKE A NIGHT FLIGHT….,STEP BY STEP WE GETTING THERE..
@Patat: Patat, I agree totally. And I would like to throw in Casinos in the mix too.
Development comes at a price and we have to be willing to face it head on, or go back to carrying fig on our head….well… even those days are gone too, but I am looking forward to better days eh.
@vibes:
In Dominica we can classify persons in a number of segments:
– Those who make things happen tempered with financial prudence
– Those who dream for things to happen but will not share their dream or vision for the wider society , never mine they may not have a blackass cent to make it a reality themselves!!!
– Those who still wonder what has happened – for they still don’t get it!!!! How can Dominica seek to have night landing without an International Airport?? The fixation on an International Airport will not be the answer to Dominica’s Air Access needs at this time.
What is the effective demand for Dominica’s attractions and festivals for a 12 month period?
Are the present events that will attract visitors to Dominica spread throughout a 12 month period?
The answer to these two questions is NO.
How many persons currently use the Air Access of Dominica in a year?
The seating capacity of existing planes flight schedules for Dominica are occupied by how many persons going in and out of Dominica daily?
Answers to these questions will show that Dominica has excess capacity ordinarily on a daily basis and the real problem for Dominica is a matter of scheduling normal capacity on a 24 hour basis. Because Dominica lacked a runway with lights and instruments for landing guidance when visibility is poor airline passengers could not access Dominica in the evenings.
Now the Airport in Antigua closes about 10:00 O’clock in the night. If you ever stayed at the Airport Hotel in Antigua you will know that. Thus where Liat is concerned for now flights getting from Antigua at nights will not go later than 10:00 O’clock but Barbados and St. Lucia may operate later than 10:00 p.m. and Dominica may consider opening later to accommodate these flights.
When existing marketing research is concluded and the analysis points towards increased demand for airlift to Dominica on a sustained basis is because of increased and vibrant economic activity , Dominicans allow non-nationals equal access to land ownership and access to government services then we will have need for an International Airport.
Take a god dam look at all the islands of the OECS and Caricom or just the Caribbean Region as a whole and what correlations do you see?
What makes them better than Dominica? Why? What is the attitude of the citizens and governments of these other Caribbean or OECS or Caricom Countries? Look at Grenada, look at St. Lucia, look at Barbados, Look at Antigua, look at St. Kitts , look at Jamaica!!! Now all these countries mentioned above have Dominicans working and can give an objective assessment.
As long as Dominicans and the government of Dominica are not prepared to give hotel developers exclusive access to beachfront properties in Dominica then stop the dam bellyaching about International Airport. For it will never come. Mighty Garby can sing as much as he wants: dah beach is mine; he has to bend!!! This is a fundamental requirement of hotel developers the Caribbean over and the world by extension.
The ball is now in Hector John’s court to say openly that if elected into government and becomes the Prime Minister he will give International Hotel Chains what they want – land and exclusive beach front access. Trust me it is only then an International Airport becomes viable for Dominica.
Is “he” dat is de bloke n` have de small mind wee!!
All i can say is if you don’t feel comfortable taking a night flight to DA then don’t. I don’t see why skerrit and his ministers have to ride the plane first for u to get on a night flight. I’m pretty sure that after some time, we’re going to take that night flight.
I have to admit that i’m a bit wary, but we cant keep avoiding night landing forever.
What is the big issue about night landing in Melville Hall, people be grateful and stop the criticizing ..Those of you who are criticizing has no idea what we are going through to get home,i won’t be the first to land in the night but i welcome it.. And it’s not by the mountain they will be landing it’s by the sea “so what” Most of you leave Dominica and land by night in other countries and had nothing to say..So shut up and give DOMINICA a break. God’s blessings be upon the Government and the people of DOMINICA..
Let us stand back and give the process some time to breathe, fellow DA’ans. Let us hold back the criticisms and misgivens, and also some of the accolades. In reality, this is not a total fait accompli. There are still some kinks to smooth out. Let us start with Liat, then other regional airlines, then AA, etc. Things will fall in place. Everything must begin with a single step. Night landing is not a revolutionary idea, but it is something we did not have; and now that we are “almost” there, let us give it a chance to take root. Let us not let our political emotion guide us. Let us let DA’s best interest serve as a guidepost to where we need to go.
I will say it again, I love my island. I love when its sun shines upon my face. When its cool breeze caresses our hilltops and valleys. When its rivers lends its rhythm to our happy shores. But, damn, I cringe inside when I see how deeply we can slice into each other when we disagree. Some of us need to go outside of ourselves to see who we truly are.
After Skerrit, Blackmoore and Chavez land at Melville Hall in the night, I will. Till then leave me land in HIGH DAYLIGHT!
viva la dominicana…what allu wanted? an airport on the sea?
@Patat: you just dont sound like a smart person if you are blowing whistles all over!!
what are the hrs of operations etc…when will the last flight get in..
isnt it going to be same as in the day when it rains and poor visi low cloud which is common in that area…..hmm more canx flights folks will still have to sleep in anu slu..
the thing isnt tested and pasted fully and you just talking pure bull!!
we have to wait and see what pans out..maybe you dont reside in that area so u dont have a clue of
how the weather is around there!!
that was fast has the navi aide lights in la plaine etc all woodfordhill have the being installed
sir it doesnt happen take you time…when you have the first few succesful landing etc then you review and blow….nothing has happen to shout about…maybe your 2 cents vision that isnt focus at all..
When I visited Dominica two years, I used an airline of Sky Service because they had a airline price I could afford. However, that airline flies from Toronto to Barbados. They told me that I would have to overnight in Barbados because I would be too late to catch the Liat plane to Dominica.
Sky Service landed in Barbados at about 12:30 pm; Liat was scheduled to leave there for Dominica at 1.30 pm. I believe that I saw that airplane on the landing/departing ground, as Sky Service was landing. But I would not have time to transfer to that Liat plane, which would probably arrive in Dominica by 3 pm with me on board, a sorry regret for me.
Overnight in Barbados, having to pay for taxi, from and back to the airport, hotel/motel room, and food for my stomach; I was already charged an excessive amount of money for overweight in Toronto, I had to pay another $100.00 U.S. when I checked in on board Liat the next day. That kind of cost I could have saved if I was able to be on the Liat plane that left for Dominica only one hour after I had landed in Barbados.
Staying in Barbados for a whole day, was an experience I dreaded. After 34 years away from my homeland and the people I love, I resented the fact the privilege for an airplane to land in Dominica at any time of the day rubbed me off an extra day to be at home with my people. The anxiety forced me to pray hard, that God would let me live to see that next day.
I am planning to return to Dominica around December of the year 2012, by the Will of God. I give thanks to Him, that through the Government of Dominica, He has worked to relieve some of us from the anxiety and cost that we encountered in the past, as we tried to spend some time in our homeland and with our families, and those of us who need to do our business through travelling.
All of this means, thanks to You, dear God, for night landing in Dominica, through the work of Prime Minister Skerrit and his men.
tell me something, with DOMLEC always taking lights,…. r there generators at d airport, n if so, make sure they always working fine, cause it is hard to believe that in 2010, DOMLEC still takes light n DOWASCO still takes water…hahaha
IN ALL YOU FACE NOT ALL YOU THAT SAY WE WOULDNT GET NIGHT LANDING NA EVERYTIME THE PM SAYING SOON SOON SOON…TALK NOW
I love the 2nd line you forgot the Ambassadors to Venezuela ,Costa Rica, Brazil not forgetting the ex-minister at the UN. Let’s not forget Ayatolla and the midget former prison officer turn intellectual
Julien Prevost,Alick Lawrence ,Tony Astaphan Julie Coco,Charles Maynard etc a plane full …
Almost forgot this guy my good friend the breast minister. Maybe he can have a bowl filled with chicken breasts ,wings,whole legs and some backs and necks,He will need a few pieces of neck in it as he has none.He reggie should come with a few feathers. Like Bere ananacy might need it when falling from BirdLand.
I have no problem with the night landing but all want to see is Blackmore, Skerrit, and all his brunch of blocked head bats to land on melville hall airport first thank you
@ ATC: The airport has been operational, hence certified since…….The certification required now is for night landing. No one ever said that Melville Hall Airport was already certified for night landing. Cut the boys some slack for trying. Stop spreading misinformation and hurling insults.
Hope for the best people..will be good for the country
A mere 8 days after Liat did their testing the ECCAA has given the Green Light!!!!
Well praise the Lord and thank God for making those Haters choke on their saliva in mid speech and allowing those same set to be d first to take a night landing.
Trust me it must have an important travel plan that must come up soonest to involve a night landing for them to go openly on radio and TV to vindicate d government , yes de DLP Government lead by Roosevelt Skerrit!!!!!
Time does always tell d story of all man. Wait and be of good courage.
Well done PM Skerrit and the three (3) Ministers who oversaw the Airport Improvement. I can now laugh at all d terminology I use to hear – for example Package 1, Package 2, and all dose other Packages. AA!! Those Packages all open and everything put on d work bench and not on d lazy bench as Alo would say!!!
So d Package of doom and gloom get cast aside!!! D Package of crying down Dominica for lack of Air Access at nights soon going and be put to rest.
Now all those that use to run their mouth and say we need improved Air Access stand and be counted and start to market all u hotel(s). Set up all u websites and include payment by credit card and give packages that will include a vehicle rental in d overall price. That will mean collaborating with a Vehicle Rental Company to complement all you Hotel. Get members of the DHTA to come together and see how you all can exploit d government Channel 7 and have footage of all u hotel and d services offered daily and especially d evening attractions – management cocktails, live band, jazz night, modeling, limbo dancing, and any other creative attractions – man eating fire and people on bwabwa for example. Include d government met officers giving weather updates every two hours on Channel 7 live and letting both visitors and citizens know the high tides and low tides for d day and d safe beaches to venture around d island and the DHTA should have a working relationship with d Cadets to act as life guards on those beaches dem with lookout post on d beach dem. That way people will feel more safe and secure with police patrol as well.
Once these brand awareness becomes the norm – safe beaches, televised attractions in hotel rooms, evening attractions in d hotels dem, and ease of vehicle rental access as part of their pricing packages then we already on our way to creating a strong brand that will attract the cost conscious tourist to Dominica. Cause St. Lucia has two International Airports and their Hotels do even have 40% occupancy due to the financial crisis!!!! And they have the fixed cost of the two International Airports to deal with monthly and they cannot compromise on safety!!! Or else!!!
Chartered long haul International flights into Gwada and Martinique and Barbados , St. Lucia and Antigua will make Liat and Winair and American Airlines smile when they coming into Dominica with a full plane load. That means more work for pilots, more revenue for smaller Airlines like Liat and Winair and all those others that would express an interest in getting into Dominica.
Now locals’ doh have to be university graduates to take advantage of d Airport night landing. Set up all u little cottage dem and offer accommodation services and be your own boss. Check d AID Bank , NDFD and d other money Skerrit make available to take advantage and create employment for self and fellow citizens and join in d refrain FORWARD WE GO.
The haters have nothing good to say. Well done Comrade Skeritt!!! What the opposition and the haters could not have done for years, you have made it happen. Dominicans are not ungrateful people, it’s only a few haters who are hoping for the worse, and wishing to see Dominica remain backward. Continue to do what you have to do and at the right time the masses will reward you. Well done, Comrade!!! We are watching who will be travelling at night when the flights begin arriving and leaving at nights. Time will tell.
To B. U must be a donkey.. U know how much millions it takinv to build an international standard runway and have clearance? Smartass since u know so mucb teach dem. Even if d/a gey inti airport all of all u overs still going stay overs so why flap ur gums?
Is now those Soukoyan going to fly. when people think plane landing is Soukoyan that flying all over thee place.
GUYS LET US BE OPTIMISTIC IF NOT FOR POLITICAL PARTY BUT FOR DOMINICA. WE MUST COME TOGETHER AND ROUTE FOR OUR COUNTRY. THERE ARE AREAS MUCH MORE TREACHEROUS THAN D/CA WHER NIGHT LANDING IS DONE.
LET US STOP THE FUSS AND BE PROUD OF OUR ACHIEVMENT. WE DON’T HAVE AND MAYBE CANNOT SUPPORT AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT THIS TIME BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS AN ENHANCEMENT. IF THE IMPROVED ACCESS IS A FEATHER IN SKERRIT’S CAP THEN LET IT BE BUT THEN LET US LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE- THIS ACHIEVMENT OPENS OUP OPPORTUNITIES FOR TAXI DRIVERS , HOTELIERS, INCREASE EMPLOYMENT ETC.
IF WE WANT TO VOTE SKERRRIT AND HIS BAND OF BANDITS THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE CORRUPT THEN DO SO WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES. DOMINICA HAS POTENTIAL WE JUST NEED TO ADJUST OUR ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR.
Dominica is developing, one small step at a time. It will take a long time before this nation of ours reach the level of other more developed nations but as the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in one day.”
This is a small but significant step towards development of this country.
It pisses me off so much when I see so many negative comments. I am all for criticism but I think it should be constructive criticism and not some of the types I am seeing here. As a people we need to be optimistic and if we remain negative all the time we will forever remain at the bottom of the ladder.
@hope: hope, I too, will be with you on that flight. It takes (1) one step, to complete a journey, so all de negative talk don’t really mean anything.
We have bee set up so much about this night landing that I have to see to believe.
@4ALL2C: Listen up, when your previous parliament members were focusing on the Banana Industry only other caribbean islands were on tourism, so they devoloped thier country to facilitate and sustain a good tourism industry……tAntigua took years to get where its at just like the many others.
So Dominica cant just wake up tomorrow and expect to compete with the other islands. Yes we would like to have those 747s and other commercial jets arrive in dominica but where are we gonna put those tourist? Dominica has no nite life, how are we gonna entertain them?
We have to gradually build Dominica into a top shot tourism destination and an International airport is not the answer to that, yes it is part of the solution.
@or: yes am in Houston……lol!
@hope: I agree with you 100%
i dont know whats wrong with these people but they really say ”empty vessels make the most noise”
they dont know what it is to overnight in SJU/ANU/BGi! spending an additional $130!!!
Rite now i am so pissed that i cant get a flight into dominica next week….i really hope that they can start as soon as monday…. and as u said i dont care if i am the only passenger!
hmm think some more details havent heard offical word from ECCA…
What are the times of operation!! wow that issue from the test flight was resolved quickly
just looking on….
Nuff said!
You know what? I am so fed up with these baseless criticisms which come from us. Call a petal a petal and a thorn a thorn. I am so happy for my peoples’ achievement(night landing). We have come a long way and i am grateful to God for his goodness.
If i am the only one to come on Liat in the night time then so be it………i’m going to enjoy my ride. All those who are “bawling” are people who have never experienced a delayed connection, or an overnight in Antigua or Puerto Rico.
We have done well for ourselves and i am proud of our achievements.
@Great!!!:
I know u in TX H town to be presice!! Dont make us cry ok!!
TO THE CRITICS!! two words!!
TAKE THAT!!!
Can they please start next week am trying get into dominica and i’m gettin hells! i have to go over night in Barbados….. mehn am coming from texas, not Dubai!!!! its so Hard!
Thank God that the all clear has been given!!!!
What a waste of money and time….Marigot hospital don’t have plaster or bandage …PLEASE NOTE..
When is Delta, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, JPL, Air Jamaica, Continental, Jet Blue, AIr China, Guyana Airways, etc making their 1st Night Landing with some tourist who MUSt stay overnight so we can start making money?
IF NOT this is a TOTAL WASTE in 2010. Am hoping it is 2010 in Dominica and NOT 1810.
They should do some more test with all the ministers including the opposition party on board one plane.
The PM and Blackmoore UP FRONT WITH D PILOT. If anything happen we have nothing to lose on that plane.
If nothing happen we have everything to gain.
The labor party going to have Dcan blood on their hands.
Dominica welcome to the the new era in aviation, night landing has now becoming a reality, forward we go, for those of us in diaspora, we can get to Dominica the same day. Thank God.
Mama me see a lorry coming down there, it eyes shining like a flambo from the sky…it say ahrura…..but wait its a plane, a plane…..the first official nite landing flight on DA soil, it making history in DA….Wow man i want to see that, dont care if i hve to hitchhike i want to be there to see that and if there is a lottery for persons to fly in on that flight am in… i in that!
WELL I SAY THATS GOOD NEWS.
In as much as we would all want to have an international airport. The country just can’t afford it at least not at this point in time. The only way we will get one is if a friendly goverment builds one for us. We as a people need to have our priorities straight.
e.g. We need better health facilities. Like a new hospital with mordern equipment.
But in the meantime if we have an emergency in the middle of the night we no longer have to risk waiting untill daylingt to fly someone out for treatment elsewhere.
I am saying all of this to say that in this trying time we need to be content and make do with what we got. We are a bless people and we need to be eternally greatfull.
well my pathner you have the information so i give you the thumbs up.
For a change let us applaud our government its great that this step is now beyond us. Development is a process its a step and there are certain things that must be done, there is no need to argue as to how long it took or did not take this is beyond us now lessons to be learnt of course. Lets now set our eyes and our productive minds on doing the other things that need to be done whether it is the International airport or whatever but it is a step in the right direction. there could have been flaws and errors mis dates and all of that let us put that beyond us and lets move on.
Let us all put a helping hand in ensuring that we can build our country in such away that will 1) DISCOURAGE THOSE WANTING TO LEAVE AND 2) ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT IN DROVES TO RETURN IN DROVES
Way to go Dominica!!! Great Achievement. Tired of the 2 day trip to dominica. Proud of my country.
all nite landing test can pass but not me landing in Melville Hall in the nite it is too scarey i value my life Mr. Blackmore and Skeritt
didn’t they say that the airport was already certified by the Eastern Caribbean civil aviation authority?
boy Blackmore and his Gang can LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is time we have night landing so Dominicans no longer find it imperative to overnight in Antigua to get to Dominica. Imagine travelling from one island in the Caribbean to another and you can’t get there in one day?
I wouldn’t mind getting to Dominica by night even if it means flying the Twin Otters. I flew them to get to Barbados so what’s wrong about flying them for shorter distances like from St Lucia and Antigua.
What will be needed is more direct connecting flights from more destinations such as St Maarten and Barbados and St Lucia and Puerto Rico. That way Dominicans can have better options for interconnecting flights within and outside of the Caribbean
can someone tell me whether Blackmore, Skerrit and the other bunch of minister ever had a nite landing test at the Melville Hall Airport, if not when are they going to test the nite landing
Stop being a clown,and concentrate on building an international airport.The millions of dollars wasted at Melvillehall would have gone a long way in this process..Stop insulting our intelligence to the extent that you are believing every Dominican does not know that you all are an incompetent team of jokers,frittering away the states resources..We are the laughing stalk of all the other caribbean countries, anf this has been accentuated by this Skerrit dictatorship..Are we imitating the ruling of Mugabe in Zimbabwe..???????? WHAT A SHAME!!!!!!!!
Good Job by the DLP Gov’t.
well i ready for first flight…bring it
Yes LIAT but what about American Eagle?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
soon and due course are the words that seem be longer than a day and a months.
i hope Skerrit and his ministers are the first to land in Dominica in the nite. Unless i hear that they have done so i will never land Melville Hall nite time. Good luck Skerrit and his bunch of ministers