Investors ready! Gov’t eager to start airport runway extension — Rymer
Works Minister Kye Rymer has expressed hope that a proposed runway expansion for the Terrance B Lettsome airport could get underway soon.
Consecutive governments have acknowledged that the runway needs to be expanded to accommodate airlift but despite the plans and promised efforts made over the years, this has not been realised.
Rymer told reporters at a recent press conference that he was able to have a meeting with the recently formed BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) Board led by Theo Burke and related that he gave a mandate that the board needs to be taking the airport into the direction of increased airlift and the expansion of the runway.
“Over the years, we have done quite a lot of consultancies and have various drawings and so forth in terms of the expansion. So I don’t think we need to recreate the wheel,” Rymer said.
He added: “I know the Premier can confirm, too, that we have some investors that are ready to come in and assist with certain parts of the airport expansion. So we are eager to get started in terms of making sure that the runway extension is a priority.”
When asked what efforts had been made during his tenure overseeing the BVIAA, Rymer said he has been reaching out to various airlines in terms of increasing airlift to the territory.
The minister explained that sometime recently an Embraer E190 was able to land at the airport.
“That plane is able to take direct flights from Tortola direct to the mainland, Miami, and the Eastern Seaboard. So, we have been working with that agency in terms of trying to cement that relationship to have increased airlift and have a direct flight to the US as well,” Rymer said.
Rymer further explained that since his government came to office in 2019, the previous BVIAA board explored various options in terms of the airport’s expansion.
“I know there were plans to do some work on the adjacent land; the hunglands that we are all aware of but we are not sure where that is at now but the board would be able to give me a better update on that,” he added.
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Boss we need those potholes out of the roads.sicking now mahn.
Here we f**king go again, more feel good pie in the sky bulls**t! Get something tangible in hand and LET US MOVE!!!!!!!! All this feel good bulls**t feels like going to Church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday hearing the same thing. Get something done for a change!
BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!
Not gonna happen this century.
Run a 08:00pm ferry from Charlotte Amalie and there will be no need to spend more millions on consultants.
Here we go again with foreigners buying the Government. Who are they and what has been promised in return? These are the questions BVIslanders are not asking!!Where is the transparency?
oh my goodness we cant get any decent flights to arrive one time. what about the schools, what about the roads do the right thing for the people of the BVI and repair what is already broken, broken for the last 5 years enough
More importantly you showing movement with 4 months to go before elections…
There are dreamers and there are doers. FACT: The planning, consulting, funding, mobilisation of the airport extension will be 2-3 years and the actual construction ANOTHER 2-3 years. We are looking at 5-6 years if we start NOW! What do we do until then? Come on man, stop f**king with people and get some work done. It’s clear since Irma and COVID that the BVI was doing well by fluke and not by any advancements made by any politicians as we love to tout. Now that our survival depends on actual work being done we are f**ked. Look around, 5 years, education/schools, roads, infrastructure, electricity, water, sewerage, EVERYTHING IS F**KED while we spend $1billion every 4 years.
Flights are being reduced to St Thomes and we are expanding the Airport. This is surely not the time…..so many more things that should have higher priority.
The script is still in effect and those before him had the same sweet talk too , and the rest bis history
Flights being reduced due to crew shortage. Not a lack of demand.
The VIP are jokers. During the 2019 campaign they said nothing about extending the airport. As a matter of fact, the current Premier was not in support of it and he said that we just have to improve the ferry service from St. Thomas. The NDP was the only party courageous enough to speak about that airport expansion during the campaign. The VIP knew it was a hot button topic and avoided it to get votes. Now they are in all of a sudden it needs expanding and they have investors. These people are charlatans. Empty men in bad looking suits parading around town as leaders with nothing to offer. We need real leaders not empty politicians.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/544143/FOI_0617-16__IUK_Report_.pdf
Our airport does not make enough money to warrent investors. Any expansion needs to ne a Govt capital project from something like the Caribbean Development Bank.
Which is why we only need to do a minor increase not a massive billion dollar project.
Who are the investors?
What are the terms?
How will we repay them?
Will this be repaid via increased departure taxes?
Why the investors! what are ther motives?
be content not competitive seking debate.
Only money! how about unity?
They just can’t stop skulking around looking for kickbacks from big projects. Time to move on from this mentality
Not this again.
The Koolaid sweet – have another cup !
Here is where the BVI Govt.goes wrong all the time. Involving investors without we the people having any input.In this here BVI with GOVT.decisions it’s always something for some thing.Ask the.likes of Kedric.Done deal
I like Hon. Rhymer but I can’t see him negotiating with no investor to expand no airport. Sorry. Look at the roads with all the potholes. That’s his job. Look at the bushes on the road blocking the corner. That’s his job. He can’t do these things but he he must go and negotiate million dollar deals on our behalf? I like him but no way. He is not at that level. We just need to stop putting likability ahead of competence.
“The minister explained that sometime recently an Embraer E190 was able to land at the airport.”
Please note; The Embraer 190 needs 6890 ft of runway to takeoff at its maximum takeoff weight of 114199 lbs.
Our runway at T.B Lettsome airport is only 4,642 ft. I don’t think that Embraer 190 would be able to do any direct full or even half full direct flights to miami any time soon until that runway is extended.
Give up this jackass idea. More pressing needs in BVI than an airport that will bankrupt the country. Don’t even mention Chinese involvement, they have screwed a lot of the Caribbean islands, of BVI ripe for getting screwed, has a good track record on that.
Amen to that!
I am so sick of hearing all this. in 1986 we had a direct flight from Miami, so what the heck are you all talking about?
Exactly do the investors get out of this? The passenger loading will never be enough to have more than 1-3 flights a week in season for probably twice what it costs to go to St. Thomas and fly out of there. And, what will the departure taxes be? Most locals won’t be able to afford it, so it will most likely benefit tourists and those in financial services, who are not belongers.
Why is it more important to find $ 200-500 million to do this than to find funding to fix schools, roads, BVIEC, W&S, incinerator, which everyone benefits from.
Check me out for an ideal redesign of this runway and terminal thing.
Trust me it will jplift the bvi on an international level compete with neighboring stt and attract thetourists to boost the economy.
Its an extended plan.