With the support of many of the Overseas Territories’ governors, including at the time VI UK appointed Governor Tom T. Macan, the British set up a wholly-owned subsidiary company called Air Safety Support International (ASSI), a subsidiary company of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. This company was to take over the role of Civil Aviation Departments and, according to the UK, at some point ASSI would gradually hand over the functions back to the VI, along with the other Overseas Territories affected, once they were deemed ready to take over. However, 11 years later and after two different Administrations, the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Virgin Islands Party (VIP), ASSI is still firmly in control of the functions of the VI Civil Aviation Department duties. Photo: ecru.co.uk

The Taddy Bay Airport on Virgin Gorda (below) and the Terrance B. Lettsome International on Beef Island. In 2004, the then Civil Aviation Department had been approved by Government in the then Legislative Council to be turned into a Statutory Body, making the organisation into a limited liability called the BVI Airports Authority. The objective of the new Authority was to own and operate all airports within the Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO/File

The Director of Civil Aviation post has remained in the budget over the years, at least on paper, and the Officer who holds the substantive post of Deputy Director of Civil Aviation, Mr Andrew L. St. Hilaire (left), who has also held the title of acting Director of Civil Aviation, has been assigned to the Ministry of Communications and Works to act as Deputy Secretary. Mr Denniston S. Fraser, a trained attorney, heads the BVI Airports Authority as its Managing Director. Photo: VINO/File

The same year, 2004, the then Civil Aviation Department had been approved by Government in the then Legislative Council to be turned into a Statutory Body, making the organisation into a limited liability called the BVI Airports Authority. The objective of the new Authority was to own and operate all airports within the Virgin Islands, the Taddy Bay Airport on Virgin Gorda, the Terrance B. Lettsome International on Beef Island and the Auguste George Airport on Anegada.

The following year, 2005, the Airport Act came into full effect, along with its regulations, having been passed late 2004 and giving way to the separation of the BVI Airports Authority Limited, which was incorporated on August 15, 2005 and a Department of Civil Aviation with regulatory duties.

This meant the Civil Aviation Department was to continue, but to be the agency to regulate the airports, and the aviation sector in general, focusing on safety and proper and updated legislation for the territory in keeping with international standards.

How it works

A recent example of this distinction in the Virgin Islands (VI) was the BVI Financial Services Commission who are the regulators for the financial services sector (that will be in this case the Civil Aviation Department) and the BVI International Finance Centre, a government Department, which is the promoter of the sector. In other words, the BVI International Finance Centre is the sales agency for the financial services product, which in this case will be like the BVI Airports Authority.

What went wrong? ASSI took over! Cost tax payers $400,000 per year

It was in 2004 when the then NDP Administration was to set up a Civil Aviation Department, but suddenly it was said that there was allegedly no qualified Virgin Islander to fill the new post of Director of Civil Aviation under the new portfolio, notwithstanding the many qualified Virgin Islanders such as Denniston S. Fraser MBA, LLB, Andrew L. St. Hilaire BS, Coy Levons, MSA, CPL and Clive Smith MSA, CFI, CFII, CPL among many others. 

Mr Fraser, a trained attorney, heads the BVI Airports Authority as its Managing Director.

The same year, 2004, quite interestingly an audit was done by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority that claimed there were deficiencies with the Virgin Islands airports, including reported safety issues. The same things were also said about many other Overseas Territories airports by the UK report.

The UK then came up with a plan to take over many of the Overseas Territories Civil Aviation Departments, including the VI and defunct many of their Civil Aviation Departments, claiming that they wanted to help and provide a more cohesive system of civil aviation safety regulations.

With the support of many of the Overseas Territories’ governors, including at the time VI UK appointed Governor Tom T. Macan, the British set up a wholly-owned subsidiary company called Air Safety Support International (ASSI), a subsidiary company of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.

This company was to take over the role of Civil Aviation Departments and, according to the UK, at some point ASSI would gradually hand over the functions back to the VI, along with the other Overseas Territories affected, once they were deemed ready to take over.

However, 11 years later and after two different Administrations, the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Virgin Islands Party (VIP), ASSI is still firmly in control of the functions of the VI Civil Aviation Department duties.

VI must pay ASSI big $$$$ for service

Furthermore, for a service that was almost imposed on the Virgin Islands by the colonial power the tax payers were asked to fund ASSI for being our civil aviation regulator.

The cost to the public purse was as high as a whopping six hundred and forty four thousand dollars ($644,000.00 USD) per year around up to 2010 when they had an office in the VI. Today with no office in the VI, the people via the Government must still pay some four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00 USD) out of government coffers.

In 2010, under the VIP Administration [2007-2011], then Minister for Communications and Works Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) negotiated an agreement for the transfer of the duties to return back to the Virgin Islands, in an agreement signed in the British capital, London.

To date, this programme has not been implemented and there is no programme or plans in place by ASSI for a hand over. Some claim there have been little communications with training anyone designated to take over a restored Civil Aviation Department.

The Director of Civil Aviation post has remained in the budget over the years, at least on paper, and the Officer who holds the substantive post of Deputy Director of Civil Aviation, Mr Andrew L. St. Hilaire, who has also held the title of acting Director of Civil Aviation, has been assigned to the Ministry of Communications and Works to act as Deputy Secretary.

The way forward: No plans!

After the 2011 elections that saw the NDP returned to power, it was announced that the portfolio of the airports has been reassigned to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour headed by the Deputy Premier and Minister Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7). This story was first and accurately reported by our newsroom.

However, it appears that the Civil Aviation Department and the regulatory functions still remain with the Ministry of Communications and Works.

Both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and the Ministry of Communications and Works were tight lipped on the question as to when ASSI would be relieved of its duties in the VI to save tax payers some four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00) per year. Both Ministries, when called by our newsroom, asked that we speak to the other Ministry on such questions.