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‘It is still urgent that we extend the [airport] runway’- Hon Rymer
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“But let me be the first to tell you that, American Airlines will land every day at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport runway, even up to five times a day on certain Saturdays in the upcoming season.
“Nevertheless, it is still urgent that we extend the runway of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport,” Hon Rymer stated during brief remarks at the Territorial Address by the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government on the occasion of their one-year anniversary in office at Maria’s by the Sea on May 16, 2024.
‘Firm commitment’
Hon Rymer said that momentum to extend the airport runway continued with a visioning meeting with stakeholders, and signed a contract to conduct a Green Book Business Case.
“These actions demonstrate our firm commitment to improving our airport facilities,” the Works Minister stated.
American Airlines, from June 1, 2023, commenced flying from Miami to the [British] Virgin Islands (VI) daily, making it the only carrier to offer daily nonstop service from the Continental United States to VI and the first nonstop flight from Miami in more than 25 years.
However, to facilitate larger aircraft, the runway needs to be extended.
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33 Responses to “‘It is still urgent that we extend the [airport] runway’- Hon Rymer”
Is it urgent that the BVI moves wholesale into a different form of tourism? Mass tourism? That is, high numbers of visitors? This usually means a lower quality tourism product - cheaper accommodation which means we need more, cheap hotels; more crowded offerings like beaches packed out with people on sun loungers, instead of empty and natural, etc. And always it is shackled to the ups and downs of the international economy, especially the
US economy and the value of its dollar. And always it will be staffed by imported labour because BVI people already don't like tourists. What you think, that we will like them more just because there's more of them?
Overall low-quality, high-numbers tourism seems to be the goal. But have you looked at what this means? It means undermining the existing tourism image of the BVI that began in the 1960s - a place of pure natural beauty for untroubled enjoyment of the beauty of our nature. Goodbye nature, if you do this to our islands.
It means we need a lot more infrastructure like roads that have capacity for a lot more traffic; and sewage systems that can handle the increased amount of human waste that has to go ... where? Into the sea, of course, killing natural eco systems; a solid waste department that can handle all the increased garbage they create that gets ... what? Burned, and poisons our people and nature with toxic air.
Even after all these governments have tried to do it, this expanded airport does not sound like a plan that comes with any vision for our islands. It sounds like ministers want big numbers of arrivals on paper to make it look like they are the saviours of the BVI and big contracts to hand out which could mean big rewards from local contractors who get the sweet candy that comes with this kind of project. Meanwhile the tourism industry is turned on its head, the little guy from the BVI gets nothing more than maybe a job on the apron or in the car park, the foreign workers get to send money home and the big man just gets bigger and bigger. And we destroy the nature that makes this place attractive to people from outside and that SHOULD be a legacy that feeds and nurtures us for generations to come.
There is also the question where these 200 people arriving 5 times a week are going to stay. It’s easy to say that other islands have done it, but they are larger places, and many had subsidies for airport expansions. Grenada for example had help from Cuba. It also bears considering that direct long haul flights to and from them occur a few times a week during tourist season. That’s an airline decision based on load factors, so if fewer people come, the greater the surcharge to pay for the airport. So, before we compare ourselves to places that have expanded their airports, we should inform ourselves as to how they paid for these expansions.
Would it perhaps be better to use available/accessible monies to develop the Territory as a tourist destination (i.e. clean up the place, fix the roads, have nice places/resorts to go) and then consider expanding the airport after we make the place popular (assuming that is a good thing)? It’d be a lot cheaper and less risky financially to invest in reliable high speed ferries to match StT arrival times from the mainland and collect passengers from St. Thomas than being stuck with a $ 2 million+ note per month for 20 years for airport expansion with no guarantee that it would pay for itself. Customs and immigration paperwork could be done in transit.
In those days the BVI's attraction hinged on the catch phrases, "One of Nature's Little Secrets" and "Yes, We're Different". My book "Virgin Island Sketches" recorded the island's uniqueness and never lacked buyers. The government's pride in that uniqueness was such that they gave copies of the book to visiting officials.
Government’s job is NOT to develop our territory into oblivion. It is to manage our territory’s wellbeing, wealth and happiness. None of this means they have to do nothing. It just means you have to think a little and not auto-revert to a 1960/70s mindset of thoughtless development.
I want my great-grandchildren to be healthy and happy in their homeland, not looking at empty shells of old hotels that made some fat cat money for a short time before the bush grew over and the walls fall down.
Proof we DONT NEED thr runway extended. Also rumors going around the when its expanded they plan to fill in Trellis Bay for tarmac space. Use the lot where you just moved the septic tanks to for tarmac. Move the road, build a bridge or use the land acrosd from airport but leave Trellis Bay ALONE!!!
Virgin Island poet Sheila Hyndman (1958-1991) prophesied the future 60 years ago:
They will come with tools and machines.
They will bring to light your secret places,
They will demand your mysteries.
They will destroy, build up.
They will dilute your treasures,
And rob you of your chastity.
They will adorn you like ancient Jezebel.
‘Till all that’s left of your true self
Will be an old and forgotten poem
Like mine.
- infrastructure (roads)
- ports service (airport is the worst in the world, ferry terminal is piss poor)
- education
- healthcare
- fighting corruption
This prestige project is just another way to get money in cronies pockets.
It was not many years ago all the BVI men had to go out to find work in DR and other places. Now look. Shocking!
Look at St. Barth. It is a premium location and is difficult to get there but lots of ppl want to go there. We don't need mass tourism!