Dominica Festival Committee officials say they are not worried that no night flights are scheduled during the hosting of the 14th World Creole Music Festival.
In fact, there aren’t any night landings on schedule for several weeks ahead.
“If they have night landing it’s a plus, but in the meantime we will work with what we have,” said DFC Vice Chairman Sobers Esprit.
However, considering the influx of people for the last three nights of October, the DFC events director Natalie Clarke-White admitted that “we really do need night landing to work for us. People want to come”.
Speaking at a meeting with the press this morning, Esprit said he believes government is working “very feverishly” to ensure that night landing is where it should be.
He noted that if the additional flights are not secured it will undoubtedly have an impact on the festival. He has assured though, that it will not have an effect on the “movements” of artistes, foreign media and other key personnel.
“So far we can say that we have no difficulty in moving the principal people,” Esprit said.
Night landing in Dominica was initially lauded as a significant amplifier in getting the desired quantity of patrons from across the region and North America to the island on the nights of the festival and according to the DFC events director, the WCMF, has over the past three years attracted over 60 percent of overall visitor arrivals to Dominica.
With that she expressed some confidence that “whether night landing is here or not, people are going to get to Dominica for the music festival. The statistics prove that”.
Esprit believes, meanwhile , that the ferry services, which are booked all round, will fill the gap.
“A lot of the people who come to the festival come by sea and we are working very closely with the ferry service,” he reassured.
So let me see if i honestly get this right.Their was this big celebration and this big fuzz about history in Dominica and how much was done to get night landing, and on the most festive and busiest time in this country their will be no night landing? Can anyone else see what is wrong with this picture?
I know we Dominican put politics before common sense but for once please its time we stop. I don’t care who is in power any logical person with any common sense will tell u that does not make any sense. its not that the airport was not ready cause we just had this big opening or are u telling me that all that was just done for show. i mean when will Dominican grow up and hold this people responsible and am not talking about about the prime minister. Am talking about whoever is responsible for ports and point of entry. how can u spend all this money to get a port up to standard and the time of the year when u need it the most you wont use it.
All the people put their that will support anything please explain the logic in this to me.
Whe there was an international airport to be built the labour party litterally laugh at the
iidea of the uwp in wanting to build an international airport. Stating that there are not enough people
in Dominica for that. They even compare grenada and st.lucia saying, they have international airport but plains hardly land there. The idea is to have it. You never know when you may need it.
Many people including myself is tired of landing in Puerto Rico or antigua to get home. In that journey luggaes are being lost. Now they are wondering about the negative efffect the night landing will bring if people cannot land at night to make the creole fest a sucess.. That airport is very dangerous to land, with the mountains in the way.
We Dominica really are small minding in our thinking inclulding all the heads of government..
The primister should just continued on building the international airport when he took over.
He is just like eugeine Charles who broke down the stadium Patrick John started.
Too much of animousity in our heart. Edison should just work with the present primister to make things happen for the people. They are the one that are working and suffering. All the other politicians are just looking for fame and fortune.
The goverment must help to build up the villages properply. I think each villages should have a Senior citizen building are government facilties for its people. Stop putting everything in Roseau.
Roseau is not Dominica. Country people are the ones that build up roseau.
prissy call a spade a sapde….they had a celebration for nothing the solution…for this is an international airport….not a politically improved on that is obsolete……that wat is nonsense
WHEN PEOPLE TALK BAD ABOUT MY COUNTRYMEN I WOULD GET SO MAD AND READY TO BLOW A GASKET. BUT I COME TO REALIZE THAT MOST OF THE THINGS THEY SAY ABOUT US IS NOTHING BUT THE GOSPEL TRUTH. WE HAVE PROVE THEM RIGHT. I GUESS WE ARE WHAT WE ARE AND NOTHING OR NO ONE IS GOING CHANGE THAT MENTALITY.
YOU ALL WONDER WHY DOMINICA IS NOT DOING ANY BETTER? STOP BLAMING THE GOVT..
THE WAY YOU PEOPLE BLOG OUT HERE MAKE ME WANT TO DENOUNCE MY NATIONALITY.
YOUR HEADS ARE DOWN IN THE GUTTER AND I WONDER WHAT IT’S GONNA TAKE TO GET IT OUT OF THERE.
SHAME! SHAME! ON YOU PEOPLE. ALL YOU DO IS BABBLE LIKE A BUNCH OF BABOONS.
YOU SEE EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH DOMINICA BUT CAN’T COME UP WITH A SOLUTION ON HOW TO FIX IT.
DOMINICA IS FOR ALL DOMINICANS AND NOT JUST FOR THE POLITICIANS WE ENTRUSTED
TO MANAGE IT. SOME PEOPLE DON’T THINK BEFORE THEY TALK THAT IS WHY THE BLOG ALL THIS NONSENSE. IF YOU HAVE NOTHING POSTIVE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY SHUT UP AND SAY NOTHING. WHAT YOU ALL DON’T REALIZE IS THAT, THE WOULD BE VISITORS WHO MAYBE ON THIS SIGHT WILL CHANGE THEIR MINDS ABOUT COMING TO VISIT YOUR COUNTRY.
THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO SELL DOMINICA INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT DOWN EVERY CHANCE YOU GET. IF WE DON’T APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE, HOW WE EXPECT OTHERS TO?
@Boat Pilot:
I UNDERSTAND WHERE U COMING FROM…yes we have done without night landing before..BUT DO U SEE THE POINT OF PUTTING so much money INTO an inauguration FOR night LANDING and not making USE of it? NONSENSE! USELESS!
Hello folks the World Creole Music Festival is on with or withour night landing…it had always been on without night landing so why cant it still be on without night landing now. You heard the man most people come by ferry so what’s the big deal about night landing. Ferry dont need no night landing. Sorry diaspora in europe and north america we have no long haul ferry service just between Martinique and Guadeloupe… hop a plane fly to Guadeloupe or Martinique. hop and ferry and bam you in DA…nous ka lay kwasay kai la pour fete mizik kweyol toute la terre. Sobers nous kay la nour paka bwe rum so nous kay sober…
nothing shout about its is manifested the Dominica and Dominicans settle for less and a proud of extremly dull elements to be gentle and uninformed! what a shame!
WELL ALLU CAN LAND, I WILL SLEEP IN ANTIGUA, MAYBE I MIGHT GO BY SKELLS AND COME IN THE MORNING
@Ras B: woh, nice piece, but may i ask, have you ever managed and international airport regionally or internationally, if so can you give us an approximate figure as to mentainance and other cost per annum.. it don’t have to be recent…
secondly, the airport you managed, does it have a 4747ft mountain standing inline of the runway with no lights, if so can you give the name of that mountain..
does the airport final approach is from the sea, if so can you tell me what are the risk if the landing is aborted and the pilot has to pull up in total darkness with not land marks on their highest points..
truthfully and not politically, are you satisfied with cow manure at melvillehall
@NEUTRAL: the people overseas do the voting and we dat living her disgrunted
well is pushed the project, equip the surrounding with 1st neccessity, pharmacy, post lights, things ppl would need…..do something small but cute so dat ppl will say ok dominica dnt have an international airport but oh gush wat a cute lil airport ! think !
Why is Ras B’s like or dislike comments button deactivated?
WELL WELL WELL GOD HELP US I JUST DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING ARE YOU TELLING ME THESE MEN WERE WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES ALL FOR D PM EGO? WHAT WAS IN IT FOR THAT PILOT,THAT HE WAS WILLING TO TAKE SUCH A RISK? AND WHAT THAT VEXING ME IS MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE BAWLING HOORAY CANNOT EVEN BUY A TICKET NUH! THEY WILL NEVER RIDE A PLANE MUCH LESS LAND IN THE NIGHT.
@Jay
thanks for the correction but trust me next election is more RED……… Marigot and Salisbury gone this time too all 21
You people will come to realise that all these politicians are compulsive liars and thieves. How can you expect the politicians to be righteous when they are raised amongst evil people? Morality wasn’t a pre-requisite for entering into the political arena so why are you guys complaining? I told you all over and over again secularism, secular democracy and christianity have failed the people. When the music start to play again for elections you all will forget all about the lies like a woman after making children she forgets about her labour pain. Politicians here are a waste of time, space and sperm…bloody rubbish!
@VALDA BRUNO DURAND: No my girl, four years away, and they might jump the gun again, but this time my vote up in the air……
PLEASE, DOMINICANS WHO MADE PRO SKERRIT COMMENTS ABOUT NIGHT LANDING ON DNO, I SUGGEST YOU REFLECT AND PICTURE YOURSELVES AS … THEY HAVE MADE OF YOU.
It is amazing. DLP just won by a landslide, so who are these disgruntled people. Is it the people living
overseas or is it those at home? I am confused by the apparent hatred for the present government.
Please somebody advise me.
Confusion now exist, whom should we believe, Eddison or Skerritt or Esprit? Are we serious with the information we share with the public?
Granted the concept of night landing at Melville Hall is great and should be encouraged. I do not believe that with a population of 62,000 people we can afford an international airport, The maintainance cost will make such a project non-viable, the safer and more sensible option would be, as was recently done, to lengthen the airstrip and make it suitable for night landing. The results of the activities on evening of September 20 would suggest that ‘NIGHT LANDING’ at that airport is now possible. Was it handled properly? you decide! Was it rushed and hence pre-mature? Maybe. Often in the course of commenting on events on this site we seem to miss the forest for the trees, maybe because of our political polarisation. Surely, there is good and bad in us all, I am not saying that if Skerritt attempted to gain political mileage with the night flight on September 20, it should be encouraged. Quite the contrary. I believe however that we should see whether their was any useful message that could be had from the events. For me, that message was loud and clear – NIGHT LANDING is now possible at Melville Hall.
The statement by Mr.James is unfortunate and appears petty. As a MP from the area why did he not attend the event? Let us look at the bigger picture. Efforts were made to improve the facility, It may not all be totally ready for night landing but this is where Mr James olitical maturity is questioned. As a major opposition voice, he should move away from opposing for the sake of opposing and support efforts which would be in the national interest. He should be prepared to knock heads with Mr Skerritt to see how best the Airport project could be safely accomplished, after all it is not for Mr James nor Mr Skerritt but for Dominica.
Mr Esprit on the other hand as a social leader, going back to his days at SMA, should have matured enough by now to know that if you can not say something sensible to shut your mouth. His statement is on par with the statement made by the now president of the state college when he worked with WICB, that “investors are not leaving the WICB instead it is the WICB leaving them”. Mr Esprit my suggestion to you is simpply review the staement that has been credited to you and in your own quite time, question yourself on the value of such a statement.
I really and truly thought Eddie was lyin!
How come there is no night landing? wah happen? The balloon burst? Loook story. All the big celebration and drinking for the news that there is no night landing! Something went wrong somewhere! Oh dear – sick sick folks
is all in place for steel Pulse (Yes or No)
lol…boi look show down,..tht is a disappointment wii
WHAT AN EMBARASSMENT
how allu want night landing & there are no posts light!! allu lookin for more accident with those dangerous corner!! Skerrit was just fooling us! but 99 days for the thief & 1 day for the master!!! 5 years passin fast !! i think this will play on the next election upcoming!
When the inaugural flight was announced the first thing I did was to search for tickets online(NOT THAT I PLAN TO LAND AT NIGHT) and then I realized that the option was non existent. My question to those in charge is WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE INAUGURAL FLIGHT???????????????????????
I think it would have been best to just continue testing etc and not launch an inaugural flight with no plans to schedule flight in the immediate future. DISAPPOINTED…
I thought inauguration meant that they were beginning with night landing. What was that all about? I am disappointed. Oh NO!!
it hurts to see that everything in da is centerd around politricks. before we come torether and do our country some good we allow eddo and others to full us where instead of giving good sound ideas to better our country we keep making foolish coments . da does not belong to skerro and eddo but to all of us. people dont say skerro and eddo they speak of dominicans that includes me the labourit u the uwpite and pestina the freedomite that means all of us
I NEVER AND WILL NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING THIS LYING MOUTH SKERRIT HAS TO SAY OR OFFER DOMINICA AND DOMINICANS. I CANNOT BE FOOLED BY THEM. THE ONLY THING IS THAT I AM SCARED OF WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR LAND, SKERRIT HAS TURNED OUR DOMINICA INTO A VERY .. STATE. MAY GOD FORGIVE YOU SKERRIT FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND IS STILL DOING TO DESTROY HIS LAND
@
VAls give me a hala cousin.
VALDA BRUNO DURAND:
Well Well Well, I still believe that Dominicans are not yet ready to believe that this government is a fraud. They have done it over and over again yet they winning by bigger margins. I tell you Dominica really going to the next level from level 1 to level zero. Guess you did not notice that Mr. skerrit was pointing down when he was talking about the next level.
Mwem MEM LAS….Is a shame shame shame down n dirty shame on DLP – There was no need for this HUGE Celebrations!!!Take time organize everything, and when all you sure the criteria was MET then you can come to the public and say NIght Landing In Dominica A Reality! Then the following flights as scheduled as follows: dont Embarras you alselfs like that…..Jah……..Rastafari.
15h Annual wcmf night landing should be blooming! in the mean time doh waste my hard earned Money just for VARY and FUN!
I always thought this was a show but one wonders why would an airline allow some dumb politician to drag them into such deception . I did wonder If Edison would allow Skeritt to use him by attending that canival show because the reason Skerritt will not build a jet airport is that it would look too good for the U W P as they did with the school at Londondery because it was a U W P idea
One is left to wonder what canival show is going to be used to address the inceasing drug and other crimes that have the people of Dominica fearing for their lives?
WELL, WELL, WELL, ! ! , THIS GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO LIE AND DECEIVE ITS CITIZENS !
WHEN WILL ALL THIS DECEPTION STOP ? HOW FAR WILL YOU GO MR PM.? HOW MUCH ROPE DO YOU NEED TO WEAVE THIS WEB OF DECEIT ? MR. PM, I AM URGING YOU TO ADMIT YOUR FAULTS AND WRONGDOING TO THE NATION THAT YOU SERVE . YOU REALLY NEED TO GOOGLE LEADERS WHO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY DECEITFULLY- THE OUTCOME WAS NEVER FAVOURABLY, SO TAKE NOTE !
LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS- ” BE SURE YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU (ME) OUT !
boy that is jooboom eh…
As i see the picture I burst out one big laugh at work…
see the lady hand in the air..
alas…a ride…they on a next level ride…bobol..lies..corruption..make belief….
lol lol
@Fooled again and again: you could not state the facts any better ! One day my God will reveal the whole truth ! !
woshhhh! He work the psychology on all you. lol
We like it so. Doh feel sorry for us. We under a spell.
Look joke lol lol well well well d/ca not moveing forward at all is dominican that have d/ca so hay to many joulous against one another that is why d/ca not moving up change u all ways and d/ca will move up.
The ‘NIGHT LANDING’ PAPPY SHOW TRIP was done, for the media to have news on it all week, because the truth of the BIN BOBOL and VILLAS was too much for them to stomach. So they had to concoct a DECOY. GRABBING PEOPLE’S MONEY FROM OUR TREASURY FOR CHARTER AND FREE RUM and FOOD. Govt. did not even have the courtesy to tell the people how much the charter cost. Dominicans got to know the figures from our competent, truthful investigators.
The same thing that happen with the BIN and FERTILIZER BOBOLS, but in a more secretive way. Those BOBOL involving the PURCHASES weren’t meant for cleaning per se, but to make $$$$$$ in a controversial way for some to pocket. The PAPPY SHOW activity at Melville Hall wasn’t meant to begin immediately Night Landing there, but to try to escape the pressure of illegal activities done by officials in Public Office. You all could RUN BUT CANNOT HIDE. YOU ALL COULD TRY ALL KINDS OF TRICKS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FOOL THE PEOPLE, BUT THE TRICKERY will be UNCOVERED and COME TO LIGHT. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARK MUST……………….
SO SOBERS YOU NOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE “PRINCPLE PEOPLE” WHAT AM I A STUDENT PEOPLE. JUST REMEMBER IS THREE PLACES THE FERRY OPERATING FROM. WELL ME SELF SWIM, WALK, RUN, FLY, PULL, PUSH, DRAG, I WILL BE THERE PRINCIPLE OR STUDENT I DO NOT CARE.
HE HE HE HE HE…..LMAO! OH LAWD MY BELLY HURTING!!!!
Well, I will admit they fooled me too. So no night landing to increase the human flow for WCMF 2010. Wow!!! They we fool Cowpoopoo this time!
NO SURPRISE THERE, THEM PEOPLE CHATTER A FLIGHT WITH MY TAX MONEY TO GIVE PEOPLE VEP TO ANTIGUA AND BACK AND MAKE BIG PARTY THE PM EVEN THREATEN TO SEND PEOPLE HOME IF THEY LATE FOR WORK TALKING ABOUT NIGHT LANDING, TAKE ALL YOU TIME ELECTION IS FIVE YEARS AWAY STILL NO NEED TO RUSH NOW ALL YOU LOOKING STUPID, ANYWAY JUST KEEP THE LIGHTS OFF BEFORE DOMLEC HAVE TO MAKE THEIR WHOLE 3MILLION PROFIT ON ALL YOU.
yes ‘I’ some persons still scratching their eyeballs from the “fingers” they push in it!
hahahah……are u serious!!!! this GOVERNMENT IS PLAYING WITH THEIR POO POO….THEIR … WILL BE OUT SOON!!!
WHAT A JOY RIDE ………………………………………….
JUST WASTED DAM TAXPAYERS MONEY ON NONSENSE AS USUAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHEN IS NIGHT LANDING COMING …. PAPA BON DIAY ….. WHEN?????????
ALL YOU DOH TIRED FOOL ME!!!!!!!!!!! STUPES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zor Kwè y ayzay!!! LAAAAYYBBBAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Celebration stop so night landing stop too.
that was just a big joke and puting people to work extra for nothing. ask the security them customs .innigration ,police .cleaners. tooshow tooflam. that not ready .
all dat counrty have is mouth talk
N.B. Who in their right mind believe that DFC is not worried? They are getting over their worriness, now knowing it would never happen. So if ‘Night Landing’ would increase passenger arrivals for the WCMF, because the visitors knew they would no longer overnight in Antigua or Barbados, wouldn’t DFC worry that many visitors will have to overnight? No worry visitors will go through the same HASSLES this year again, although there was POMP and excitement, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ spent to charter LIAT and WINAIR for that DECEPTIVE SHOW?
BOB MARLEY reminded them ‘YOU CAN FOOL THE PEOPLE SOMETIME, BUT YOU CAN”T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.’ ‘NOW YOU DOMINICANS SEEING THE LIGHT…………’
Statement by Edison James on the “readiness” of the Melville Hall Airport for night landing
Hon. Edison C. James
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
The recent statements by officials of American Eagle and LIAT regarding night landing at the Melville Hall Airport has reveal that the people of Dominica were the victims of massive deception by the Roosevelt Skerrit administration and even more seriously the lives of citizens were put in heightened danger.
The essence of the releases from the two airlines is that Dominica is not equipped or ready to accommodate night landing with the level of safety that is required. It is obvious that Mr. Skerrit and his Ministers knew that there were major safety concerns on the part of LIAT, yet they lured fifty or more citizens of our country to risk their lives on that show boat ride which took place on September 20th, while shamefully Mr. Skerrit himself remained in the safety of the VIP lounge at the Melville Hall Airport.
We are also very disappointed that LIAT should have allowed itself to be pressured by the Dominica Government into lowering its usually high safety standards by getting involved in that thirty-four thousand dollar danger flight into Melville Hall Airport in September.
The Roosevelt Skerrit administration must now come clean and make public the nature of the technical matters which have to be addressed before safe commercial night landing can take place at Melville Hall.
Failure to clarify this now very messy situation will do more harm then good to our tourism product. Neither resident Dominicans, nor visitors to our shores will be prepared to be sent to any higher level by Mr. Skeritt and his Government to endanger their lives while he himself as leader and head of government remains safely at ground level.
Hon Edison James
Parliamentary Representative for Marigot
President of the United Workers Party.
N.B. Who in their right mind believe that DFC is not worried? They are getting over their worriness, now knowing it would never happen. So if ‘Night Landing’ would increase passenger arrivals for the WCMF, because DFC and the visitors knew they would no longer overnight in Antigua or Barbados, wouldn’t DFC worry that many visitors will have to overnight and go through the same HASSLES this year again, although there was POMP and excitement, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ spent to charter LIAT and WINAIR for that DECEPTIVE SHOW?
Those who think mr James was going off his head i hope they can read and understand. Too good to be true night landing lmao
I knew it was too good to be true……so what was all the hoopla about???