As plans continue for the expansion of the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport, for jet travel to Anguilla with direct fights and larger airlift, Sky High Aviation Services, out of the Dominican Republic, has landed a Jet Embraer aircraft on the island’s runway. The flight tripled the number of passengers brought to Anguilla on smaller planes operated by the company.
The colourful jet touched down in Anguilla on Thursday morning, October 17, to a welcome for its crew by the Minister of Communications, Mr. Curtis Richardson; Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Cardigan Connor; Board Member of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority; Mr. Julian Daniel, Quality Assurance Manager; Mr. Kendell Richardson, and Mrs. Rose Hodge of Sky High Aviation Services.
“I am very happy and excited today,” Minister Richardson told The Anguillian newspaper. “I had a vision that Anguilla is on an upward trend and I spoke about it. I want to thank Kendell, Marcel Fahie, Julian Daniel, Shomari Kentish, Sherman Williams, and a host of other persons- who pushed with the early vision to bring direct flights into Anguilla. Over the past four-and-a-half years, we worked tremendously hard to bring the Clayton J. Lloyd Airport up to international standards. This is a direct result of that hard work, and the airport has now reached a stage where we can take commercial jet flights. A lot of it also has to do with the upgrading of the airport’s fire equipment- and you will see a lot more of this jet activity.
“Just today, I had a meeting with officials from the Santo Domingo Airline. That will be another airline coming from another part of the Dominican Republic – Punta Cana. They intend to start that service to Anguilla in forty-five days. One of the things about Punta Cana is that it also has a lot of links to the outer world, so we will be able to travel to Santo Domingo and go anywhere in the world we wish. So this is good for Anguilla. A little later, this year, and perhaps early next year, we anticipate that jets will be coming to Anguilla from the US mainland. That is in the works and is going very strongly.”
Mr. Connor, the Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, joined the Minister in welcoming the new airline service to Anguilla- as part of the drive to develop the airport and attract direct jet travel to the island.
Mr. Kendell Richardson said: “Today is the first time that Sky High has brought an Embraer 145 to Anguilla. It is a jet service which marks a very important day in aviation in Anguilla, as a commercial jet service is something that we all talk about and now it is becoming a reality.” The aircraft came direct from Las America’s Airport. As with every industry in Anguilla, we always seek to establish growth and this is significant growth for the airport.
“Prior to this flight, Sky High was operating Beach 1900s which carry about nineteen passengers. I believe this aircraft is a fifty-six seat plane. Anguilla is a lucrative market for this service and we have been noticing that this market always have lots of passengers. Actually, in the slow season it keeps the airport floating- and it appears that the Santo Domingo community is making lots of flights to Anguilla.”
Captain Tirso Borrome’ said the Embraer 145 LR (long range) aircraft, which carries eleven thousand pounds of fuel, will be upgraded shortly to carry fifty-six passengers. It is a very capable aircraft flying up to 27,000 feet, is pretty fast and is powered by two Rolls Royce engines.”
One of the passengers on the arriving flight described it as having been “very quick and smooth”.
The growing air service between Santo Domingo and Anguilla does not only unite the people of the two territories in terms of modern travel and friendship. It also calls to memory the good old days of the “Santo Domingo run” when Anguillian men, in search of employment, sailed there in sloops and schooners, struggling against rough seas and taking a long time to reach their destination. Today, thanks to air travel, the journey back and forth is, as the above passenger described it, “very quick and smooth”. It is also a popular route and market.
