Don’t release airport business case, Skelton Cline tells gov’t
Commentator Claude Skelton Cline has urged the government not to make the business case for the expansion of the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport public, warning that it could harm the territory’s interests.
Speaking on his Honestly Speaking radio programme, Skelton Cline stressed the urgency of advancing the long-discussed project before the next general election.
“I understand that there are some people who are asking for the business case to become public. I want to discourage you from doing that. Don’t do that. Don’t let people drag you into something that is not going to be in the ultimate interest of the country,” he stated.
Skelton Cline insisted that the airport project is essential for strengthening the Virgin Islands’ tourism sector, which he described as a vital economic pillar. “I don’t know how you can live in 2025 and not be in favour of the improvement — the expansion of our airlift,’ he argued. “Tourism is the one thing that can’t go anywhere, unless we don’t have the infrastructure in which to accommodate it.”
Call for urgency and expertise
The talk show host pressed the government to complete the necessary steps quickly to avoid repeating past delays.
“If you monkey around and don’t get this airport going, approved, then we’re going to decide whether or not we keep you in office,” Skelton Cline said. “Every time we change governments, national plans get thrown back eight more years. The National Democratic Party should have built this airport at the end of their first term. We would have been flying high now for real,” he explained.
Skelton Cline pointed to the construction of the cruise pier park under his leadership at the BVI Ports Authority as an example of how strong legal expertise and careful negotiations can ensure successful development. He argued that the airport project requires similar oversight. “For something of this magnitude, you need a law firm… every comma, every dot, every period, every clause has implications,” he said.
Partnership with the UK
Skelton Cline also urged the government to work closely with Britain on the project, given the need for UK approval.
“You’ve got to formulate a partnership with the United Kingdom, even if it is a UK firm legal, even if it’s a UK firm as contractor or lead,” he insisted. He added that any agreement should ensure Virgin Islanders benefit directly through local contracting and materials supply.
The Terrance B Lettsome International Airport expansion has been on the agenda for more than a decade. The project has faced repeated setbacks over financing concerns, shifting cost estimates, and political disagreements. Calls for transparency have grown louder in recent years, with critics arguing that the business case should be scrutinised before public funds are committed.
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I presume the report does not support the airport expansion. And as usual its always who is going to pay for it. You cananot raise the airport fees any higher than they are already high. Sad!
I don’t always agree with Cline. But on this, he is right. The airport extension is not a luxury; it is essential infrastructure. The argument that we’re surrounded by four airports that already take jets is not persuasive. Proximity is not access. By that logic, because ST Criox could already accommodate jets, there would have been no need to extend runway in STT after the 1976 AA accident that had 37 fatalities when the runway was 4,658 ft( about the same as our current 4,645) —yet we all know that would have been short-sighted. They extended the runway to 7,000 ft.
Visiting British parliamentarian Baroness Hodge recently shared that it took her 17 hours to reach Tortola, and she understood immediately why more direct flights matter. Time and convenience are the new currency. Travelers want to spend less time getting to their destination and more time at the destination—enjoying what we offer. Losing a whole day in transit isn’t charming; it erodes the very appeal we’re working to build. Travel is stressful enough. Our responsibility is to make it easier, faster, and more reliable—so our people and our economy can thrive.After all
Yeah – don’t disclose the costs now to the people who are ultimately going to have to pay for it down the road. And for goodness sake, don’t talk about how the repayment will be funded, and for how many years.
You really can’t make up some of the idiotic statements made by some of this Territory’s so-called “leaders.”
what csc says do the opposite and you won’t go wrong
There is no convincing business case to share.
The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs tells the story of a farmer who discovers his goose can lay golden eggs daily. At first, he is grateful and enjoys his good fortune; however, his greed leads him to make a foolish decision to cut open the goose in hopes of getting all the eggs at once.
We have a basket case.
Journalist had a quiet night in listening to the radio again.
Of course we should see the report. The news story is about why we have not. Not bedtime by the radio.
Trumpian much?
A pastor who doesn’t want his flock to know the truth…yet his flock would be the ones on the hook…
How can you call Pier Park a successful project? It went $ 35 million over budget, and the $ 10 million missing in soft costs was never found. A $ 1 million audit by KPMG concluded there was insufficient documentation to find it. Successful indeed if you were in on this. For the rest of us, not so much.
If the BVI allows the Chinese to build their airport, they will regret it forever, just like Dominica and Antigua
A question that comes first is, who are we trying to attract? Who is our customer? Do we want mass tourism from the US and Europe? Spring breaks? Lager louts? How big do we want the charter boat business to be? Do we want families with lots of kids? And everything that goes with that. Amusement parks? Are we going to build more mass market hotels to accommodate the plane loads? Because a single plane can bring in 300 people or more. Imagine a Royal Caribbean cruise ship disgorging its customers for a week long stay ,and then 4 other cruise lines doing the same, because that is what mass tourism is. Do we want ( god forbid ) to be the next Honolulu?
Do we even want to be a mass market destination? Can we compete with the DR whose costs are a quarter of ours.
How come CSC knows so much about the “Business Case” for the airport ?