SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — St Vincent and the Grenadines, a collection of 32 islands and cays in the Southern Caribbean, plans to commence operations of its new Argyle International Airport in early 2013, clearing the path for direct international jet service and expanding its passenger-handling capacity fivefold, said Glen Beache, chief executive officer of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority.
Beache shared the news at the 4th Routes Americas event that opened on Monday in the Dominican Republic, which he was attending to meet with airlines and other development partners. It is the first time the Routes Americas conference has been held in the Caribbean.
The progress of the Argyle International Airport, which is expected to attract direct flights from key North American and European gateways, “has sparked the interest of major carriers from the US, Canada and Europe along with leading hotel and resort companies who are taking a closer look at investment opportunities in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Beache noted.
“On St Vincent itself,” he added, “the new Buccament Bay Resort, about half an hour’s drive from the new airport, is set to open with 100 rooms in April 2011, with top amenities and facilities to eventually accommodate 1,600 guests. In the Grenadines, CRD Group, an investor in Sandy Lane, Barbados, has agreed to invest over $100 million in the Canouan Resort at Carenage Bay. In Bequia, the Bequia Beach Hotel is expanding from 30 to 65 rooms before year’s end. We see this trend continuing over the next two to three years as a result of the new airport.”
The new Argyle International Airport will replace the existing E.T. Joshua Airport when it is slated to open in early 2013. As the largest development project ever undertaken in St Vincent and the Grenadines, it is a critical cog in the evolution of the multifaceted, multi-island destination’s growing hospitality sector. Runway and other construction have been moving ahead with 65 percent of the project’s earthworks components completed by the end of 2010.
The new terminal building, which will break ground soon, will have three floors with 129,870 square feet of floor space – designed to handle about 1.4 million passengers per year, more than five times the number of passengers currently passing through the existing airport.
“The Argyle International Airport Terminal has been carefully sized to accommodate our expected growth in passenger traffic over both the medium and long terms. Tourism is and is likely to remain our main foreign exchange earner and this investment in major infrastructure development will allow us to attract direct flights from major US, Canadian and European cities,” Beache said.
The Argyle International Airport will sit on roughly 175 acres of land, with a paved runway 9,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. The airport is designed to accommodate jets as large as Boeing 747-400s.
The project broke ground on August 13, 2008, and is expected to be complete by the end of 2012. The airport is being developed by the International Airport Development Company (IADC), a private limited liability company wholly owned by the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
I am very glad for our brothers and sisters in St. Vincent.
I would like to remain positive that our turn to get our IA is imminent, to take our tourism and subsequently our economic and social development to the next level so that all Dominicans can have a good standard of living.
I know that the IA will facilitate more efficient access and become a key factor in enhancing our investment attraction to prospective investors in DA. Please note that the investors could be local, regional and international.
WE WILL GET THERE BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
Dominica will never be a big tourist destination it will not be able to support an international airport, Dominica does not have not one decent beach, roseau is dirty it smells and it full of parros and the mentally ill, people still shit in roseau river, people are rude and have no idea of customer service, no night life. Only Dominicans likes Dominica its similar to the saying only a mother can love that face.
yes we need to broadcast this world wide…as dominicans only feel and learn the hard way!
thats only when they will wake to see the sky is blue and not red as they worship…what a shame on citizens who remain ignorant
I could tell you don’t love and care about Dominica. However, I am a proud Dominican and have travelled throughout the caribbean and Dominica is not worse than any of the islands. Yes, we do have things to take care of but I am quite sure we are able to compete.
St. Vincent has a brilliant Prime Minister who is dedicated in moving his country forward. Don’t worry my Dominican brothers and sister you will get there one day by the grace of God. Until then let us celebrate with the my Vincy people and watch our International Airport’s construction progress by going to http://www.svgiadc.com. You will see that the Terminal Building has reached the 2nd floor and the 3rd and final floor is left to go.
For those of you that oppose an International Airport in Dominica get ready to move to STV because as is the case with most caribbean Islands, we are always ready to fly over to seek employment and a better future. We are a short sighted people and don’t seem to have any desire to take steps that will help us live a better life. We have become the laughing stock of the caribbean as they use us to stand against our own progress. That is the same man that was flown to Portsmouth by our DLP government to tell us that we did not need an international airport. I can still hear the handclaps, the shouting of Labour power, the noise we made, when the PM of STV made that statement. Today they are getting ready to open theirs in 2013.
My question is, what does STV have that we do not have in Dominica? They are a smaller island, their economy is just as bad, and they sure don’t have the natural beauty that we have. Oh one thing! they are smarter (at list their politicians) than us because they can fool us and sell us alive.
Take a look at the caribbean starting with windward islands: St Lucia has International Airport (IA); Grenada has I.A; St. Vincent on the verge of getting their I. A; Dominica workig on night landing by liat and Winair. All these islands are smaller than Dominica and at one time we were ahead of them. Do you know what caused them to fly while we continue to go backwards? They were smart enough to talk us out of an international airport while they all built theirs.
We have been playing too much politics in our country and instead of demanding that our elected leaders take steps to help us turn the corner, we instead indirectly tell them that they don’t have to do anything to help us as long as they occupy the office and keep UWP or any other party out. All we are concerned about is, “My party” in power. Hope we star to think now.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has once again grabbed the international limelight, by placing number two in the top ten lists of cinematic beaches, have you ever seen pirate of the Caribbean movie? Part 1, 2, 3 – 99% of the movie film in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
SVG your vision is noticeable, congrat/ulations
DA can we follow
To those who think that we don’t need an international air port here it is St Vincent went ahead and get one.. I am happy for the people of st Vincent but I am even more enraged and saddened by the news that st vincent built an international airport and Dominican and the government is claiming that we don’t need an international airport. The only reason we don’t have an airport is because we Dominicans have failed to demand better ofrom those we put in office. How long are we going to seat back and tolerate the less than substandard performance from the elected ones.
From Eugenia Charles to UWP to Labor we have been wasting money on land acquisition and playing political childish games. We spent 120 million to upgrade an airport and we are still playing catch up.We are about to spend 27 million US dollars on a mansion that will only bring us shame.
What a slap in our face! Gonsav was paid by the DLP to come to Dominica to convince us that we did not need an International Airport and we being such a foolish people swallowed it up with applause. Now he is working on getting one from China. Since caribbean leaders know how blind we are, all they have to do is talk us out of anything they feel will help us go foward and somehow we just cannot see that. In 2000 it was the PM of Antigua that was brought down by the DLP to shut down the plan of an international airport in Dominica while our people continue to run to a little piece of land called Antigua, to earn a living. These same caribbean leaders hindered our ability to host world cup cricket during the last world cup in the caribbean and yet we are so blind. Keep playing politics while every island seems to be making progress and you will see where we will end up. Shame on us Dominicans!
Dominicans in gov’t and leadership positions needs to travel the world to see how the outer world is run and how progress is made. THere are too many power hungry, small minded folks who try to run things and can’t get a bigger picture.
While I think it is a way forward, the current airport expansion could have been a down payment on an international airport. We already had about a 1/3 of it that we plunked into Melville Hall. We need bold visioneers… While Skerrit has done much more than the previous admin, forgoing the international airport has been a tremendous mistake.
It can still happen. I still don’t see investors rushing in to build hotels or other projects due to the airport expansion… and that is what any sizable airport expansion should do… generate investment. If we are still have issues with night landing, then I know the big buzz about it has fizzled into nothing. Even the gov’t has doubts – moving a new hotel development project to Portsmouth instead.
What Dominica needs now is a partnership with countries/companies who can come in build the airport and eventually turn it over tho the gov’t. But it has to be sizable, functional and scalable in order to warrant any serious air traffic diversions from other airports. THe current admin just needs some ideas on funding for this lucrative venture. We we need to get the big guns out and put DOminica on the air traffic map. Melville Hall is not going to cut it… never.
Dominique Seulment que derier comme Lachay .Eux ane gaspeyay l’argent melvillhall passay fait un airport neuf.sa que plis mauvais adinistration avant ja gangier terre la. Eux pas tay vlay fey eux semier manieur la eux fey avec parler comt night landing mon las tap plane kai posser les soires.
SVG PM tell us we doh need one same time he say that he go and beg china for theirs. see how it goes ppl? them man telling us ting then they run n take the chance.. i guess they saw that we would have gotten it but then they wanted theirs too u check? yah anyways SVG i hope it do allu good. Everyting happen 4 a reason..
that is a lie svg didn’t go to china to ask for money, my understanding, they went to taiwan? there are 2 contractors company were bidding,to build there terminal building…
China has nothing to do with the building of the airport in vincy.
Obviously Vincentians are much more smarter than Dominicans they think outside of the Box long term affairs….hats off to them their International Aiport is a Long Term asset!
Where is is no vision the citizens perish! Dominicans must always reflect on those aspects!
The World has no place for small minded thinkers anymore! the sky is the limit…
so true
well that sisserou parrot the have sitting on the flag dat have us backward so,,,, nothing in d.a seems to be taking flight,,,, the leader of s.v.g came to dominica n tell us we don’t need the airport,,, see the technique,,, he didn’t want us asking uncle china for the airport while he trying to get his,,,, so he tell us hold on u all don’t need it and in the next hand he stretching towards china for his,,,, but u know skerro is a lil boy so ralph gonsalves will play with his lil brain,,,,, peeps have said things need to be in place for the airport to come,,,, things like what may i ask,,,, if one is smart then he/she would understand it takes the int’l airport to bring such amenities as hotels and casinoes,,,, which would in turn have many stay over tourists,,,,, this is how the airport takes care of itself,,,, this would also mean more games of cricket for us in d/ca not forgetting espn called us the best cricket fans in the world,,,,,
our parrot just sit and talking crap whole the others pass-by,,,,, i’ve always said whoever drawn that parrot sitting did us a great disservice,,,, cuz it has surely mirrored us a people
Come on Domnican don’t get jealous, we will get there one day, remember Rome was not built in one day. Be glad for St. Vincent and move on.
good for u one day i dont think so
SVG airport will be much bigger than Barbados, SVG argyle airport terminal building is 129,870 square feet, it have aprons, where you can work from the plane straight through the building, where as in Barbados terminal building, is 70,000 square feet, and doesn’t has any aprons for plains…
You people have no mental capacity! You compare the building of a state house for a non- functional to that of building an airport!!
Let us see???
(1) an airport with all infrastructure and amenities will benefit the people of the country through Job creation, decreased prices for goods
(2) easier access for tourism
(3) More investors – easier access
A state house???
Oh I get it people will travel to Dominica via Puerto Rico or Barbados or Antigua or St Vincent to look at it!!!!!!!’
SVG international airport will be bigger than Barbados airport, the terminal building is 129,870 square feet, has three floors, has apron, where you can walk from the building and straight to the airplane and from the airplane to the building. While in Barbados, the terminal building is 70,000 and the terminal building doesn’t have aprons, I think it will be cheaper flying from Dominica to SVG to connect to international flight…
So u dont need an intentional airport? Tell that to the tourist who has a 5 day vacation planned but has to spend an entire day getting to Dominica and another getting out…keep fearing progress..we all have seen how far it has gotten you..
they cry about d 27 mill for the new state house but wont cry about the cost for an international airport :O its all Politics!!
Go and ask Charlo for all u airport. When P. John was putting it he block it.
Go and ask James for all u airport. When Eugenia was putting it he block it.
Go and ask James again for all u airport. When it was his turn he could not put it.
The PM give all u something, use it still.
We doh need international airport now, just like the palace they want to build, what benefit it going to have for the poor Dominicans. If people want to go to a place they will find themselves there. We CANNOT maintain it in our current condition.
We can build it but we CANNOT maintain it. Other infrastructure must come first so when the airport come it can sustain itself. It will not even provide jobs, because if the Chinese have to build it is their labor they will use and them truckers will go and block de road.
**OFF-TOPIC
What we need is a world class water bottling company to export our water on an international level to compete with the pipe water they bottling for the Dominican diaspora – that is our GOLD, our OIL and should be our main goal. Food prices going to go up all aroung the world – We need to be the Caribbean’s main supplier of Food and Water. Instead of TYSON chicken coming in we should have TYSON rabbit going out…
If all u want international airport just book a flight to an island where it have one and go sight seeing in their airport. When all u finish all u can come back home.
Even though we had an international airport and LIAT had to send the people that working for them home in DA they would still send them home. Even though we had an international airport LIAT would still choose not to schedule night landing for DA if it had to, is so they like to have us…and so we like to have ourselves.
Grace, Mercy and whatever floats your boat…
Well that make Dominica the only country in the regeon without proper air access. Every one is now looking down on poor Dominica. What a shame. They must be laughing at us or saying what fools we are in Dominica. In this day and age. “Kemem ah mem tan”. Did I also mention that we are one only one without a marina?
SOON THEY’LL BBE PAYING THE OTHER AIRLINES FOR THEIR EMPTY SEATS TO TRAVEL TO ST VINCENT.
so annoyed. why does every other island advance and me tay mediocre! stupesssssss. just something else for my vincy friends to dash in my face about d/ca. i am tired of he insult oh!
correction to typo “we stay mediocre”
hmmmm
labourites thats what you call developing a country what skerrit is doing is just fooling some people of dominica if you people cannot see what is going on in DA OR YOU ARE SEEING AND TURN YOUR HEAD THE OTHER WAY you also is to blame for our country being sooo barkward
100% well said….Labour and their ignorant base Labourites have brought a everlasting Curse on Dominica
Maybe by then we will get night landing
Is that the same St Vincent that told us in Dominica not too long ago we don’t need an international airport?
Isn’t that same St. Vincent that come Portsmouth and tell us obey our PM we dont need international Airport
He Gonsalves is doing what Antiguan PM did at the time when Antigua wanted to construct it’s airport. Tell Dominican heads of state they don’t need an airport. When will Dominica WAKE UP. Lève Domnichen!!!!!!
DA does not need an international airport to be competitive as a tourism destination.. look around the world and you will see many examples where countries do not have international airports and make money.
How are we going to pay for an international airport? another loan we cannot pay off???
What about getting the money from China? Not last week Mr Timothy said it’s not a problem dealing with China and if they (China) see you are not able to pay back, they simply take you off the hook. So all we have to do is get them to build it for us and when they realize we cannot pay they will free us up, without any problems whatsoever.
Name one of those examples for me please.
It’s a good question to ask Julius Timothy and the DLP. Timothy was the one who made that silly statement thinking we are soooo stupid in Domionica.
SHAME ON DOMINICA. FORWARD NEVER BACKWARD EVER.
Poor Dominican.. Behind again I see, so all u like it…
Skerro Resign, all u do is put more taxes on malaway back then give dem freeness
so Dominica has to be the last Caribbean country to get anything of importance — for example, the stadium or an airport that is of international standards and acceptance? i feel so backward as a “nature islander.”
Ask not what your country can do for you to feel forward, but what the hell can you do personally to develop Dominica?
Wonder if you even have a $500.00 in a bank account much less a pizza shop employing two people.
Very important initiative by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Way to go SVG.
Talk about a Leap Frog!