Every once in a while the question about access to Anguilla comes into focus. Thursday this week was no exception. It was then that a top level team from Cape Air visited the island briefly for talks with the Government and other stakeholders in both the public and private sectors of the tourism industry.
Little is publicly known about the depth of the discussions except for a media note from the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association. That communication stated, in part, that the meeting was arranged at the request of Cape Air whose principals were visiting all the Caribbean locations served by the US-based airline. The relevant part of the media note was that the visit was “a great opportunity for both sides not only to meet each other personally, but in fact have brief discussion in terms of our service needs and airlift issues.”
Airlift has been, and continues to be, an important matter in relation to Anguilla’s travel industry. This has been especially so since the withdrawal of the American Eagle from the region and in particular Anguilla. That airline has in fact been the main carrier operating scheduled flights to the island from the San Juan hub for many years. Though serving the island with smaller, but reliable aircraft,CapeAir has been a Godsend to Anguilla since then, providing daily flights to and from Puerto Rico with smooth connections between that island and the US mainland.
There has been much talk in Government circles about pursuing additional travel routes for Anguilla via St. Maarten to the South American market using aircraft from Panama and other areas flying into Juliana International Airport.Nothing further has been heard about any progress to date, or whether there are substantial numbers of tourists from South America crossing over to Anguilla from the St. Maarten hub. Probably this, and other related information, may be forthcoming in due course if, and when, some workable and worthwhile plan can be developed.
Whatever can be done to improve airlift to Anguilla, through all possible routes, there is one underlying necessity and fact. It is that there must be some tangible effort to extend the runway at the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport as well as to upgrade the terminal facilities and services there. This is not something coming out of the blue. Sitting on the desk of the former CEO of the Anguilla Air and Seaports Authority is a design plan for the extension of the runway; and there have also been discussions about improving the terminal facilities.
The CEO, who resigned, and is now serving in a different capacity in the region, was an achievement-driven, and highly experienced and respected gentleman, unable to sit around idly twiddling his fingers while there was work to be done. It was a pity to see him leave the island before accomplishing something tangible to add to his successes in the Caribbean but more so for Anguilla. There is now a need to fill the vacant position and probably to rejuvenate the Air and Seaports Authority and the Board, where possible, to continue their work.
The situation regarding the planned runway extension had reached the point where there was an imminent visit to Anguilla by a team of consultants from the United Kingdom for discussions on the proposed project. Further, it is understood that consideration had already been given to identify and work towards a Public Private Participation business venture for the expansion and improvement work at the airport. All of this appears to have been placed on the back burner while Anguilla grapples with its access problem and the need to develop its port services – particularly the airport.
There have also been talks about Government working towards attracting larger aircraft, to Anguilla, providing direct fights to the island from several tourism niche markets in the United States. Until some bold and concrete initiatives are taken in this direction, rather than what appears to be loose talk, the development work at the airport can only be described as both elusive and wishful thinking.
The question regarding the plans to extend the airport runway, and the sourcing of the funding, remains to be answered – and perhaps urgently!
