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VI pilots lobbying for national airline

- Say “perfect timing” with extension of Beef Island runway to come & opening of San Juan hub
There is a call for the Virgin Islands to have its own national airline with the extension of the airport runaway and the opening of the San Juan hub to complement the initiative. Photo: Ruth Blog
The VI's first commercial pilot Linton Wheatley believes with the Government's
The VI's first commercial pilot Linton Wheatley believes with the Government's "blessing" a national airline of the Virgin Islands is very feasible. Photo: VINO
Captain Neville Braithwaite Jr. of VI Air Link, also supports the idea of a national airline. Photo: VINO
Captain Neville Braithwaite Jr. of VI Air Link, also supports the idea of a national airline. Photo: VINO
The expansion of the airstrip at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport at Beef Island is seen as a complement to the Territory having its own airline. Photo: VINO
The expansion of the airstrip at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport at Beef Island is seen as a complement to the Territory having its own airline. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – With the extension of the runaway at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport inevitable, a national airline is seen as an important investment for the Territory at this time, which can complement the runway extension, as well as, serve in a prime hub that is soon opening.

Two Virgin Islands pilots, commercial pilot Neville Braithwaite Jr. and the VI’s first pilot Linton Wheatley, have begun lobbying for the national airline and believe such an investment is highly possible and realistic with the support of the Government. They were speaking on the television talk show BVI Forum, which was aired on Saturday evening May 19, 2012.

Mr. Wheatley, who was a former commercial pilot for AIR BVI in the 70s, said there are almost positive indications that American Eagle will be pulling out of the San Juan/Beef Island run which leaves that area open for investment and where a national airline for the Territory can fit right into.

“We believe that this is one of the greatest opportunities that a national airline going into Beef Island has at the moment. The hub is an extremely big hub and it not only create airlift for people from one part of North America but also create airlift from throughout North America ... San Juan is still one of the major hubs in the Caribbean and definitely the major one that brings passengers for us at the moment. Having that variety in San Juan make a big difference because it is suddenly removed and nothing to replace it as far as a hub out of San Juan,” said Wheatley, who sees the need for the local airline as a "yesterday" project.

However, he made it very clear that direct flights out of Miami, New York or Atlanta is very much encouraged.

The veteran pilot, in reeling out the ideas for the national airline, said such an investment would attract investors, however, Virgin Islanders will play a major role in the investment and it cannot be one of those investments where Virgin Islanders will be “fronting” for any businesses. In addition, equipping the airline with Virgin Islands staff will also be a priority with a phased approach.

“What we would like to see is that you can go from bringing in a fully loaded aircraft and crew, the first set to disappear will be the first officers, it takes a while to get rid of captains. It must have some local identification,” he explained.

Regarding cost for flights, Mr. Wheatley sees that the national airline will be able to offer cheaper flights and similar to other airlines, the flights will be subsidized given the benefits it can trickle down to other sectors of the economy.

“We are not just interested in the airline itself making the ton load of money alone, but rather for hotels and every other business available. Once the person gets here they have to spend money that should be the way they look at the airline,” he said, while pointing out that among the benefits can be a partnership between the airline and hoteliers to offer packages to visitors as incentives in slow tourist season.

Taking Bahamas as an example, he said, the option of a national carrier has a tripling effect. “The way I see the Bahamas, they used to do big airlifts, but now they are going smaller. They still allow the big boys to come in as is needed ... but they are also thinking about the local people.”

With ideas on the table, Mr. Wheatley believes though that the investment of having a national airline will have to be something that is well thought out and the next move will be to approach Government to seek their “blessings”.

He also made it clear that the lengthening of the airport runway and direct flights will complement a national airline and they are in no way opposing those ideas.

For those interested in being part or knowing more of the initiative, Mr. Wheatley said after speaking to Government, the plans will then be put forward based on the recommendations.

Meanwhile, Captain of VI Air Link Neville Braithwaite Jr. also threw his support behind the idea.

“You are not only creating a next economic pillar in the BVI but you are also responsible for chartering your own destiny in terms of air traffic moving in and out of the Territory. And you just wouldn’t be able to be in a position to be left high and dry.”

Braithwaite, who operates the local carrier in the Virgin Islands, said it is about time the Territory has a next carrier to call its own.

VI Airlink has only recently acquired permission to have its 13-passenger Beechcraft King Air 100 aircraft do charter flights to the US. The agreement is seen as a breakthrough for VI Airlink, who has long been pushing to receive permission to fly to US ports.

Meanwhile, host of BVI Forum Edmund Maduro said he believes that a well organised national airline is of ultimate importance to the future development of the Virgin Islands.

“I believe if we do not develop our own airline that we will fall behind. What I have seen it is so difficult for us to have a multi-nation carrier in the Caribbean.”

Another guest on BVI Forum, Dick Schoonover of BVI Charter Ports, also supports the call for a national airline and also sees the benefits that it can bring to the entire Territory.

24 Responses to “VI pilots lobbying for national airline”

  • mother hen (21/05/2012, 08:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I must say i am all for local ownership and i support this these efforts whole heartedly.....
    • Just a Joke! (21/05/2012, 08:49) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I agree, but where is the support coming from....it will take a lot of investment from the Local govenment to keep it afloat, then there are landing and take off fees, administration, airport costs etc...we not just speaking about costs in BVI, it would be wherever the airline operates...We certainly dont want another Liat. If we doing this we really need to come good, and I dont think now is the most opportune time! - we brokes! well sort of!
      • zeeeeeeeeeeeee (21/05/2012, 12:51) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        lots of you just in la la land...we cannot aford to subsize our hospital muss less an airline!
  • Well Sah (21/05/2012, 08:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I do not support this because experience has shown that no national air carrier from the caribbean has ever been successful. Not one of them has ever made a profit. Additionally, the majority of the Caribbean national carriers were serving larger markets with larger population. An airline at this time would be a boarden on our treasury.
    • BVI lawyer (21/05/2012, 11:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I agree completely. Remember what happened to Air BVI? It went bust. Horribly, horribly bust. National airlines do badly everywhere, but they seem to do particularly badly in the Caribbean. Why is American Eagle pulling out? Because they cannot make money. So trying to start a new airline where an experienced carrier has decided that there are only losses to be made is not encouraging.
  • dude (21/05/2012, 08:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I support this wholeheartedly, we need it. As I youth I was proud to fly AIR BVI we never should've let it go away.
    • Sad (21/05/2012, 11:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Thanks to Mr. R and Mr. O' who were managing Air BVI at the time that it went under. Poor financial management.
      • dog meat (21/05/2012, 15:21) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        but Mr. R is a NDP cowbird so he might be abe to lobby his party to get it....
  • yeah (21/05/2012, 08:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It is a very good idea for a national airline which we had already, but it was greedy nasty thieving BVIslanders who destroyed it and sank it to the ground, I hope this time more reputable people would get involved.
  • Donald E de Castro (21/05/2012, 08:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    A very interesting issue. A few weeks ago when I spoke about this identical subject. I went further and suggested that the government do every thing in its power to assist the company in obtaining the necessary equipment but equally important or even more important to assist them in obtaining landing rights. No matter what equipment is there or qualified personnel without landing rights you are still in limbo. I also said that the government should also consider subsidizing the air line so that when the airport is completed that we will not have to depend on others to come as we will be ready with our own airline. Other Caribbean governments were subsidizing American Airlines. So why can't we subsidize our own? Other airlines will need landing rights here so we should have the right to choose. Donald E. de Castro
    • grip (21/05/2012, 12:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I agree with you Donald so the BVI government needs to get a grip on it!!!
  • Notes...... (21/05/2012, 09:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This sounds like a very good idea.......i support it
    • carrot bay (22/05/2012, 00:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      nothing wrong with the brothers trying to launch an airline to serve the market but what will happen during the slow seasons???
  • Mary J (21/05/2012, 09:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    they should start off by speaking to thoes who ran air bvi to the ground!!!
  • taxpayer (21/05/2012, 10:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    To those of you who still have the ability to think and reason, I would say to you, don't get the bowels over what is being proposed. Like the proposed Airport expansion project, this too will not fly. There is obviously nothing wrong in day dreaming once it is being done on your own time.
    • x (21/05/2012, 12:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      well sah deman yu say dem only dreaming?
    • rat (21/05/2012, 13:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Thats the problem in this country it seems like everything is to good for BVIlanders to do, every time someone brings up an idea where this country can move forward on somebody has some non sense to say about it ay yo expect the BVI to stay behind in everything? I have lived here for 15yrs now and one thing I have learnt is nobody can stop progress.
      • one rule (21/05/2012, 17:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        support you own the government subsidize American and liat why not locals after all they pay the taxes...
      • taxpayer (22/05/2012, 12:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        I have some ideas, lets fix our roads, sewage, schools, hospitals, sea ports, etc, etc.
  • Iron Lion (21/05/2012, 13:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Keep government hands off any airline development in the BVI, we don't need to reinvent the wheel and we don't need politics involved with this issue. Look at LIAT, pure politics is causing this. All Government need to do is provide subsidies to the likes of VI Airlink like they do with Ferries and with other carriers. Encourage our local businessmen to invest further in the already existing airlines and Government can back it as necessary. Let this remain in private hands, Government involvement will make it doom to fail for sure. All the Brato boys need right now is one of those Embraer aircraft that can fly from here to MIA nonstop and even takeoff/land on the current airstrip, it can hold 100 people and that would be a good start.
  • say again (21/05/2012, 16:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    People of the bvi don't know what they want..they have not even settled yet on an airport extension now they taking about an locally owned air line... u all r very confuse, mehson.
  • Lilly (21/05/2012, 21:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The serious thing to have an airline is costy and our country can't take more expenses but it's a great idea for a national airline but government doent's need to be pulled into funding this cause it not cheap.
  • Diaspora (21/05/2012, 23:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Clearly, the BVI needs adequately airlift for leisure, business or personal travel. But the big question is should this airlift be provided by a national airline or be outsourced? Can a national airline be profitable? If the route is highly profitable, why is AE pulling out? And why are not other airline rushing to fill the void? There is national pride in having a national airline. But running an airline is a business and the traffic must be available to sustain an airline. Airlines are capital intensive. And investing in a national airline would probably crowd out investment in other critical areas. Further, running a national airline does not provide either an absolute or comparative advantage. The opportunity cost is too high to invest in a national airline. We need to let others invest in airlift and invest in other things with lower opportunity cost. Moreover, we need to partner with others that have either the absolute or comparative advantage.
  • i told you so (21/05/2012, 23:29) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The Federal Aviation Administration will find all kinds of new rules to prevent BVI from getting its own airline to protect all US based carriers registered in the USA and flying to the BVI...they will find all kind of rules to justify keeping a local airline out!!!


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