Surprising faces involved in BVI Airways; Plane leased for Haiti, Cuba route
Last week more information was unearthed.
The airline which pulled out of the Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, the main airport serving the Virgin Islands (VI) in 2014 claiming that it was bankrupt while owing the BVI Airports Authority over $100,000, is back thanks to tax payers.
Haitian company leasing planes
It was last year that the Dr D. Orlando Smith led-National Democratic Party (NDP) Administration pumped some $7.2 Million United States Dollars into the airline in exchange for direct flights from Miami, Florida, USA to Beef Island. The airline has gotten all the money upfront although Premier Smith, who is also the Minister of Finance, told the public the tax payers funds will be distributed to BVI Airways over three years’ time. BVI Airways got their cash payout within six months.
Now comes word that a Haitian airline is leasing BVI Airways planes. According to media reports, one of the two airplanes acquired with tax payers’ monies for BVI Airways started making flights between Haiti and Cuba last month. The arrangements of the lease agreement have not been made public by the VI Government; however, information shows that the plane was being used for flights between Port-au-Prince, Havana, Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba since April 27, 2017.
The BVI Airways plane is leased by the Haiti-based Sunrise Airways.
Some faces behind BVI Airways
Meanwhile, the government has released some of the names of the officials of BVI Airways, but many have been calling our reporters to allege that the names of two other locals with interests have not been released. However, our newsroom has not been able to confirm the information of the other two persons in question.
Responding to questions in the House of Assembly on Thursday, May 11, 2017 Premier and Finance Minister Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) said the directors of the subsidised airline are Jerry D. Willoughby, Scott A. Wiseman, Bruce Bradley, Pauline E. Jones; Lester S. Hyman, Robert Cisella and Ryan R. E. Geluk.
It is also important to note that VI tax payers have no ownership in the airline after Government told the public last year that the $7M of tax payers’ money pumped into the failed airline was an investment.
Now Dr Smith has changed his position, now saying the tax payers interest is only via a subsidy, meaning if the airline never flies the tax payers will never get a dime back. This information was made public following Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), the Opposition Leader, questioning the Premier to provide the government’s percentage stake in BVI Airways. However, Premier Smith, to the surprise of many, confirmed there is no percentage stake, because the current agreement between government and BVI Airways is to provide a subsidy.
In addition, the cost of what government has to pay with the $7Million is increasing. It was learnt that a study was conducted by a U.S company on behalf of BVI Airlines; however; it was revealed that the government of the VI shared the cost.
According to Dr Smith’s answer to the Opposition Leader’s question on May 11, 2017, it was Sixel Consulting Group who conducted the study for $22,000. However, tax payers are not to know what is in the study. Premier Smith said that due to the commercial nature of the report, it would be prejudicial to provide a copy of the document at this time, which was done to advice on viability.
Hon Fahie then noted that if they did the study to demonstrate their capacity, why government needed to share the cost.
It was also unearthed last month that an account had to be opened for BVI Airways to facilitate government’s $7M, costing some $207,000 more. Dr Smith claimed that he shared the cost with BVI Airways.
Thus far the government has doled out over $7.3 Million dollars on the BVI Airways project; however, the plane is yet to fly the proposed Miami–Beef Island route.
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52 Responses to “Surprising faces involved in BVI Airways; Plane leased for Haiti, Cuba route”
I want the plane to fly badly, I want the people to own shares in the company badly because I can really see the potential in the venture, interview any tourist and they would tell you not to extend the runway but they want to come direct, I think it is a great compromise.
That’s deep my youth! Jail our youths while the big fish continue to feed off the lil man and woman, and we see nothing wrong with this flawed system. Trickle-down economics that never reach to the bottom. Pure Trickery! Trick-a-treat! Corruption in high places being rewarded once again.
If you are going to take corruption seriously there needs to be an office with that focus in mind. This will go a long way in showing our the people and the international community that we are serious about fighting CORRUPTION.
come on VINO you are back now give the people the information
Come in with some level of status and play the political game for self-interest with those who are willing to listen and release a bigger portion of taxpayers’ funds to fund the scheme. No worries- taxpayers’ are just barkers, no bites. A few handouts around election time will suffice. Residuals to be worked out at a later stage.
An unchallenged “Utopia” for predatorial behaviours.
Where is the loyalty: lease to Haiti, Cuba, or wherever the dollars flow before any official schedule for the BVI (BVI Airways, Our Motto: We take it anyway the money flow).
Thank you taxpayers; we envisioned the potential. Furthermore, we have a case study corroborating the potentialities, expenses paid by you.
Time to wake up and get fully involved. If not for your sake, at least for our children sake. It’s time to learn and understand the game being played before we succumb to 4th class citizens in our own country.
Not all that glitters is gold.
Vino, can you all inquire on this? In the same vein, can you also inquire about Lester S. Hyman, and the other directors beyond the basic google search.
Thanks in advance for the continued flow of necessary public information.
As a pilot I am very in tune with the running of an airline and this thing has smelled fishy since day one!
Now we find out that the plane has been sub-leased and is running on a route other than the intended use.
Somebody is making a lot of money here and its NOT the tax payer!
Additionally you would also know that airlines would start a leasing company and have the leasing company buy the planes and then lease them back so that as to protect themselves in legal disputes from loosing all there assists. That is common practise.
They have not followed ANY of the common practice's at all!
I ran a flying school, leasing company and charter service for years and they have made every beginner mistake in the book!
Classic case of w..... man awe. Everytine you put a w....... man infront the NDP they just bend over. They would never do anything to facilitate a local b........ man. Even their so called friends could testify to that. But put a w...... man in front of them and anything he want he can have.
Nothing in aviation happens right away, it takes time to apply for and be awarded route rights, and that usual time should be extended because you are dealing with a Treaty between the UK and the USA. Always bearing in kind that both countries are currently in political shambles for one reason or another. Leasing them out both pays for the aircrtaft and gives the crews a chance to get accustomed to the region - both major plus signs.
Almost nobody lends to or invests in airlines these days, far less a small airline for the BVI. That the BVI Government lent them the money (or may have invested in the airline) is an expression of confidence in the owners and an investment in the Territory.
Now a report was prepared by a consultancy for the BVIG to ensure the business is above board and you want to see it? When did the private business of BVI Airways become the business of the man in the street? Even if the BVIG money was an investment, since when does ANY businesses share their commercial plans and industrial secrets with the general public?
You seriously need to get a grip on reality, my friend, you do NOT live in a Communist country - and even if you did, REALITY is that you would still get NOTHING from your superior "Comrades". Some pigs are more equal than other pigs, remember?
The aircraft were purchased or leased, and while the airline is waiting for the DoT to approve rights into the USA the airplanes are making money opertating wet leases for other airlines - so that they doNOT go bankrupt. This is NORMAL practice.
If you buy a bus and have to wait for a government permit to operate on a route between Beef Island and West End you can do charters to pay the bills - same thing.
Otherwise, all the noise you see here is just nasty backwards dirty politricks - Opposition making noise because they are such hollow and superficial noise-makers. This is standard throughout the islands, some people are never happy unless they are slandering and/or libelling somebody else.
lets be real hear I have done it over and over and it cost less than 7 million
plus show me a major airline that is using that type of aircraft in this present age
major carriers use to fly that type of aircraft and they took a beating...........they must learn from the big carriers and there pockets are deeper with more cash than the local goverment and they got rid of those planes because the expenses are very great...............the consulting firm need to re-emburse the goverment of the 22,000 because that aircraft is very expenses to operate and the goverment will be very sorry soon
OH THE LOCALS INVOLVED NOT EATING FROM THE GROWN UP TABLE THEY EATING ON THE LITTLE TABLE FOR JUNIORS.
As a Virgin Islander, my questions to the powers that be are: is this really possible that the government can use taxpayers money to benefit other countries without "us" the taxpayers getting anything is return? Is this legal?
Last time I check, it is "mandatory" for us to pay tax on anything over $10,000.00 in earnings...so i say it should be made mandatory that the government be held ACCOUNTABLE for our hard earn money!..Yes, OUR MONEY!
I rest my case!
The country slowly circling the abyss. Time to clock out people. We live in a country where the old refuse to give up positions of authority, the young turning to violence, Jobs are scarce. We have no Natural resources.
Jobs of High priority are paid S#it wages compared to every other place in the world. Yet we steady bigging up a sinking ship. Cut the foolishness people. Yall not dumb.
So we looking at over 53 million dollars of tax payers money down the drain. Out children starving, roads in disarray, schools full of rats and mold, dont talk about the college and the complex, teachers have to buy supplies with their already meager salaries, the college falling apart and ayuh still going to borrow money for an airport that can wait.
So yeah, somebody need to bloody well go o jail.