The Leader of the Opposition in Anguilla, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, and her colleague, Mr. Cardigan Connor, have joined in welcoming the newest branded hotel, Aurora Anguilla Resort, and its direct flights, to the island.
They are also delighted that one of the resort’s four branded aircraft flew directly to Anguilla from Miami, on October 6, on its inaugural flight in preparation for the opening of the hotel in December. That is when the direct passenger flights from Miami and New York will also officially begin.
“We noticed that the Aurora Anguilla branded aircraft is showcased on the front page of last week’s Anguillian newspaper,” Mrs. Richardson-Hodge observed. “There was a ceremony just acknowledging that there was this branded plane coming in to Anguilla. I think it has to be a highlight for them to advertise that they are open and have these facilities – a golf course and other amenities – but they also can offer you a flight straight out of the US into Anguilla. For a long time we have looked forward to that.”
Mr. Connor said that in the past a lot of investors had been looking to Government to have direct flights into Anguilla, but to have Mr. Schulze suppling that service opened an avenue for the island. “When we were in office we spoke to a number of five-star hotels about getting a direct airline flight into Anguilla – because Government on its own could not do it,” Mr. Connor recalled. “We really needed the investors, who would benefit greatly from it, to be part of that. I think what Mr. Schulze has done at Aurora is actually leading the way as to what others can do to help to overcome the challenges facing Anguilla.”
Replying to Mr. Connor, Mrs. Richardson-Hodge said the Aurora Resort direct flight service to Anguilla was “a wonderful complement to American Airlines coming in to Anguilla in December. I remember we were on this radio programme, some time ago, talking about the hard work that had gone into American Airlines and Jet Blue – and you were a big part of that while as Parliamentary Secretary in charge of Tourism.”
Mr. Connor and Mrs. Richardson-Hodge wished Mr. Schulze and Aurora Resort all the best, adding that Anguilla had grown to become a destination of choice in the Caribbean.
They took the opportunity to refer to unconfirmed reports that the Aurora Anguilla Resort’s investors were interested in purchasing other properties on the island for accommodation purposes. They thought there was a need for the Government to inform the public accordingly – and to protect the interests of Anguillians, particularly those owning rented apartments.
