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New In-Transit Lounge opens @ T.B. Lettsome International Airport

-eligible passengers will pay $10 fee incorporated in cost of tickets
The new in-transit lounge at the territory's main airport, the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island. Photo: VINO
Present to officially declare the facility open were Junior Minister for Tourism, Honourable Sharie B. deCastro (AL) along with the Acting Managing Director of the British Virgin Islands Airport Authority (BVIAA), Mr Clive Smith and Mr Keith Flax. Photo: VINO
Present to officially declare the facility open were Junior Minister for Tourism, Honourable Sharie B. deCastro (AL) along with the Acting Managing Director of the British Virgin Islands Airport Authority (BVIAA), Mr Clive Smith and Mr Keith Flax. Photo: VINO
With the lounge in place, Mr Clive Smith says the chance of persons entering the territory without the required status has been significantly reduced. Photo: VINO
With the lounge in place, Mr Clive Smith says the chance of persons entering the territory without the required status has been significantly reduced. Photo: VINO
BEEF ISLAND, VI - Four persons were the first to be officially processed through the new In-transit Lounge at the territory's main airport, the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island.

Present to officially declare the facility open were Junior Minister for Tourism, Honourable Sharie B. deCastro (AL) along with the Acting Managing Director of the British Virgin Islands Airport Authority (BVIAA), Mr Clive Smith and along with Mr Keith Flax.

Revenue boost

Speaking on behalf of Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A Fahie (R1), Hon deCastro complimented the BVIAA on the opening of the facility.

"It is an innovative one and they have repurposed this space that we are in currently and it will bring necessary revenue to the airport authority so that it can properly serve its operations."

In-transit passengers will pay a $10 fee incorporated in the cost of their tickets, that will go to the BVIAA as explained by Mr Smith. "The $10 fee that would be charged is specifically for in-transit passengers, The $10 environmental fee is for arriving passengers it does not apply to arrive passenger. The $10 fee, is simply for in-transit," he said.

According to Mr Smith, the airport currently has around 250-300 in-transit passengers per week, "so this is a timely addition to the services at the T.B. Lettsome International Airport," he said.

Promise delivered - Premier Fahie

With the lounge in place, Mr Smith says the chance of a person entering the territory without required status has been significantly reduced.

"The board's mandate was to get it done and we got it done in good time and we are happy now that we have this facility up and running," said Mr Smith while congratulating his staff for bringing the initiative online.

Premier Fahie in statements released after the opening congratulated to the Acting Managing Director and his team for ensuring that the lounge was ready to accommodate passengers.

"I thank the Chairman Mr Bevis Sylvester and other members of the BVIAA Board along with other Government agencies who worked in partnership to make this day a reality. Today is a big day for a prosperous BVI tomorrow. A Promise Made. A Promise Kept. A Promise Delivered!," Premier Fahie said.

16 Responses to “New In-Transit Lounge opens @ T.B. Lettsome International Airport”

  • True (01/02/2020, 18:06) Like (18) Dislike (4) Reply
    So to be crystal clear the "new" transit lounge is the "old" transit lounge that has been shut for over 15 years, nothing new to see!
  • Liberty (01/02/2020, 19:31) Like (7) Dislike (3) Reply
    do not understand anything, the person in the photo with a green polo shirt is a resident here
    • rewrsdffds (08/02/2020, 05:58) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      doesn't mean he couldn't been in transit from another location to a next
  • TAX MAN (02/02/2020, 03:45) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
    As in-transit passengers will almost certainly need to use the airport toilets while here, it may be more agreeable and less controversial to refer to the proposed charge as THE B V I LAVATORY TAX






  • Accountant (02/02/2020, 04:37) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Let me understand how we collect the 10.00 when it is collected when the ticket is issued. That money might be collected by airlines and websites around the world. How exactly will we get it???
    • The watchman (02/02/2020, 10:06) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      To add the airport does not want the airlines to charge a percentage for working for them in the airport tax collection. Hmm, airport trying to be a new slave master, no work and just collect.
  • Quiet Rebel (02/02/2020, 08:31) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    There are no direct flights from US, Canada, Europe, Asia or South America; passengers traveling to the BVI have to connect through another regional country, ie, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. Which airline bring passengers into the BVI to await a connecting flight for on ward travel, ie, LIAT, Seaborne, VI Air Link, InterCaribbean Airways, Winair, Cape Air? Of the airlines listed, which one bring the most in transit passengers? $10 per intransit passenger? Both air and ferry travelers are being nickel and dime to death. In breaking down the cost for a ticket, most of the cost is taxes and fees but airlines get beat up for the high cost. High cost some customers to fly less. It is a vicious circle. Taxes and fees increases, customers travel less, then taxes and fees are raised to make up for the lost and then customers decide to cut back travel further. BVIAA need to look at Pay-for- Use lounges that are available in Singapore. While waiting in these lounges, one can get a myriad of services, ie, massages, pedicure/manicure, gourmet meal, haircut......etc but of course they come with a price. Singapore, a small island (approx 270 square mile) is head shoulder above the BVI and other regional countries. Singapore has leveraged its small size and the BVI should benchmark it. Singapore is big on effective planning.
  • question (02/02/2020, 09:55) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    Why do we Locals have to keep paying departure tax, when they know we are coming back to our homes here? When leaving as a family with children, it gets so expensive before we can even start our vacation. If they charged us $5 each, that would be okay and affordable. We have so many visitors who should pay this tax. That is a lot of money to collect for our government revenue. The same as the Ferry. $15 per person for a family is just too much for us coming back and forth all of the time. Our Parents who live in St Thomas and are elderly, we must check up on them all of the time, and so they can see their grand children too. Most times we have to leave the children here at home with relatives so we can check up on our elderly parents, because of all of the added cost back and forth. The government needs to think this through too.
  • Liberty (02/02/2020, 10:59) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    because you are local, you must not pay tax, God
    • question (02/02/2020, 17:49) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
      @ Liberty, I stated that if it were $5, at least that would be affordable. Can you not read? Always ready to jump on someone like you are perfect. I pay my taxes all of the time for your information. SMDH.
  • Maths teacher (02/02/2020, 12:43) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Number cruncher query. Liat's two largest planes are the Atr 72 (passengers) and the Atr 42 (passengers) or an average of 57 passengers per flight landing at Beef Island. It is probably fair to assume no more than 10% of the passengers on any flight will be in-transit only! Therefore to achieve the predicted 250-300 or an average of 275 passengers in-transit only each week, no fewer than 50 Liat planes laden with 57 passengers each need to arrive in the BVI each week, a total of 2850 arrivals with 10% of these,285 at most, remaining in-transit,
    If the above can be achieved then a average of 275 passengers a week x 52 weeks =14300 persons @ $10 per person =$143.000.00 a year, or it may all just be pie in the sky
  • Liberty (02/02/2020, 20:39) Like (0) Dislike (4) Reply
    Question? It does not matter if you want to be reduced to $ 5 for the simple fact of being local, taxes have no class difference
    • Greg (03/02/2020, 19:07) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ Liberty......Shut up IDIOT! Most of us feel we should be paying a lesser fee than we are being charged. We make numerous trips back and forth and it gets very pricey. I guess you are one of those guys on the books being paid big money, so you don't feel it like we do.
  • Hmmm. (03/02/2020, 08:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The fees are collected by IATA and then paid to the BVIAA. all fees that are collected by any airline in the world has to be paid to that international body.

    Second the fee will not be paid by everyone only those in transit e.g. the flight from Santo Domingo that continues to Dominica and st Lucia.
    Other airports in the Caribbean does the same thing e.g. Antigua and Barbados.

    It’s better to have the people the recheck through security before they continue on to a next international destination. It’s also better than having them remain on a hot aircraft while it’s being refueled.

    BVI people just like to make a big issue about nothing. It’s for safety and security that’s why it’s being done.
  • Hmmmm (03/02/2020, 10:44) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why is all this pomp necessary for a waiting room?


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