Premier, Works Minister to be on inaugural American Airlines flight
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley and Communication and Works Minister Kye Rymer are both expected to be along for the inaugural flight once American Airlines (AA) lands in the territory this Thursday.
Premier Wheatley made the disclosure when the airline made a successful landing of its Embraer E175 aircraft late last week at the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island.
The new seasonal flight, operated daily by Envoy, is expected to begin transporting passengers between the BVI and Miami on the US mainland from June 1, and will run through the summer, restarting again in November.
“I don’t want anybody to be confused that I will be piloting the plane next week,” the Premier said jokingly as he sat in the cockpit. “I’m not going to be piloting the plane next week. We’re piloting the government of the BVI, but next week the Minister (Rymer) and I will be passengers on the plane.”
Premier Wheatley described the inaugural flight as a historic one and expressed that his government will be looking forward to it.
“We’re looking forward to this wonderful partnership between American Airlines and, of course, Envoy. It’s going to be beautiful. We see that the planes are full, the demand is there, and we will ensure that we make this relationship a success [one] for all sides,” the Premier stated.
Meanwhile, Minister Rymer said the pilot spoke about an expansion of the airport’s runway to make things a bit more comfortable without restrictions and he said this is a commitment the government intends to make and will be carrying out.
Chairman of the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA), Theodore Burke, said the initiative opened a new gateway for the BVI by bringing direct flights from Miami. He expressed that the partnership will be significant for the territory’s economy and said everyone was looking forward to the benefits of the direct flights.
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Those tickets are too doggone expensive
The pilot says it would be nice if the runway was a bit longer. Great, now all the big new fleets of trucks and barges that have been amassing and waiting to fill their pockets from this big bonanza can fill their pockets and the Ministers can get their backhanders for the contracts. All can finally cash in on the airport expansion, they will do well and the country will go no where, and the rest will get nothing but poor roads, dirty streets, filthy ghuts, crumbling, buildings, open burning garbage disposal, street gun fights, out of control scooter riders. Sounds like an opportunity not to be missed.
Welcome to the BVI with the worse infrastructure in the Caribbean. You would be lucky if you get water to have a bathe
You are a very miserable individual.
Don’t forget to visit Andrew while in Miami to tell him you can now fly cargo direct from Beef to the USA
Another waste of taxpayer’s money! If they are not arrested in Miami then at least visit coach and the other 2 conspirators in prison.
No doubt they’ll be in business class at taxpayer’s expense! 🙂
No riding in the back with the peasants!
Just how much of our money does this Premier spend on travel, hotels, food, etc?
He and his gang always flying off to somewhere.
This could be a big scam getting you to go into a plane. This is how coach went down. Lorna- be on stand-by!
“Hope to see some familiar faces working with American, they were excellent in the past …..and for sure some new faces to spice it up a bit. I also hope the price is not going to remain this crazy.”
Any media being invited on first flight? Would be normal elsewhere.
You can expand the runway by taking it over the road and leave Trellis alone. You have no money for an expansion of the airport and the roads and water need fixing first.
So instead of the Premier and Minister for Works being here on the ground when the flight arrives to greet/welcome the pilots, crew and passengers, they arriving with the plane so they can be greeted and welcomed by other officials at the airport for arriving on the first official flight? Then they going to turn around and welcome the pilots, crew and passengers to the BVI even though they just arrived on the same flight with them?
Like make it make sense ? and what they doing makes no sense ?. And a waste of government money?
Why do both of you have to go on that flight?! Do you know nothing about risk management. You should never fly together! That’s elementary stuff but you both want to be in the spotlight so here we are.
This is what happens when non leaders is voted in as leaders.
What is so historical about this ? AA used to fly to BVI until the changed the PR hub. Let us see how successful it becomes. I wish them good luck .
Lol!