Night landing officially takes place in Dominica on Monday, September 20, 2010
by Kamala Jno. Baptiste-Aaron Government Information Service
LIAT Flight taxiing down the runway to head off to Antigua, part of the inaugural return flight to Dominica
Monday, September 20, 2010 will now be recorded in Dominica’s history as the day air access into Dominica was enhanced significantly with the introduction of night landing at Melville Hall airport in Marigot. LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport) and WINAIR (Windward Island Airways) conducted inaugural flights into Melville Hall on Monday night officially commissioning night landing into Dominica.
The path to night landing began almost immediately following the Dominica labour party’s entry into government in 2000; the process began in 2001.
Hon. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who was instrumental in securing the new facilities for Dominica, told those gathered at Melville Hall that September 20, 2010 represented the day when Dominica brought its air access to a higher level.
According to Prime Minister Skerrit, although the moment was long in coming, it was also a time for a collective celebration.
The Prime Minister also told the inaugural sunset flight ceremony that despite word to the contrary from critics, his government is justified in accessing night landing facilities as opposed to building an international airport, in the short term.
He said his DLP government remains committed to financial responsibility even as it seeks to bring development to the country.
“Ladies and gentlemen, friends, we have met our immediate to medium term objectives to improving air access. All other things being equal, our long-term goal is to level the playing field for better air access to Dominica by establishing the capacity to accommodate flights originating from international destinations. I emphasise we do not intend to do so at additional cost to the treasury and to the people of Dominica.
Hon. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
The completion of this vastly improved Melville Hall Airport has, in many respects, taken us as a very long journey of faith. It started off with grant funding of EC fifty million dollars (XCD$50 000 000.00) from the European Commission. This level of financing was to have constructed a car park to accommodate two hundred (200) vehicles, renovating the terminal building, resurface the airstrip and secure and install navigational and lights at Melville Hall.
However, external events such as the September 11 suicide bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York, the demands made by some airlines and the new regime of requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation for airport certification vastly increased the scope of the works to be done so that, a project initially estimated to cost approximately EC fifty million dollars (XCD$50 000 000.00) ended up costing approximately EC one hundred and twenty million (XCD$120 000 000.00).”
Hon. Minister for Public Works, Energy and Ports, Rayburn Blackmoore
In the meantime, Hon. Minister for Public Works, Energy and Ports, Rayburn Blackmoore, told the inaugural night landing ceremony that the benefits that are expected to be derived from night landing in Dominica are for all Dominicans, regardless of one’s political affiliation. He said, for too long, the country’s development has been hindered without such a facility and it is now time to move forward into a new era of progress.
“For too long in the history as a collective we have been impeded by not having night landing and same day connections; impeded to see the expansion in our trade, impeded in our overall development as a people. Now is the time, now is the moment to embrace this opportunity to demonstrate that we, as Dominicans, can make it together as a collective as we strive together in collective endeavour.”
Hon. Blackmoore also told the scores of Dominicans gathered at the Melville Hall airport on Monday night that the possibilities that exist as a result of night landing facilities in Dominica are now endless.
