Premier Wheatley expresses frustration with UK over delay of airport expansion
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At a press conference on Monday, April 20, 2026, the Premier emphasised that numerous studies have already been conducted in the past, stating that the airport has been "overstudied."
'The airport has been overstudied'- Premier Wheatley
He remarked, “It did come to my attention that they requested more information or requested more studies, hence my frustration that I've expressed at this news conference, because in my view, the airport has been overstudied.”
Premier Wheatley noted that the government has invested millions of dollars in studies for this project, but he believes they have made no significant progress. “We are no further ahead with all of these studies that we're doing. I think it's time to move on.”
Call for UK G'ovt to give go-ahead
He made a strong appeal to the United Kingdom government and all parties involved to give the government the go-ahead for this critical project.
“I would like for the United Kingdom government, the minister, all concerned, to just give us the go-ahead so we can get this airport built because this airport is going to take our economy to the next level,” he added.
'I'm ready to move forward'
In 2025, Cabinet approved a major expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, aiming to extend the runway to 7,000 feet by 2027 in order to accommodate larger, direct international flights from North America and Europe.
The Premier further stated, “I'm ready to move forward, and I think we've just overstudied the airport. We have. We probably had 10, 15 studies, something like that, at the airport. I mean, it's a ridiculous amount of studies, and it's [UK] still asking for more.”
VI was promised UK support
Interestingly, the United Kingdom’s anti-corruption champion, the Rt Honourable Baroness Margaret Hodge, DDE, visited the VI in September 2025 and even declared that the UK is willing to assist the territory in sourcing funding for the runway project at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.
Baroness Hodge said it took her 17 hours to get to the VI, adding that one of the things that would have perhaps helped was an improved runway.
“We’re talking about how we can perhaps support, you know, the government in trying to find funding for the runway. Just think about it, eight hours, eight, nine hours, direct flights, I think would support tourism beautifully.”
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by BVI Beacon| November 12, 2024
"We fear we spoke too soon.
Last November, we praised the Virgin Islands government for preliminary steps that should have boosted transparency surrounding the proposed expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.
But now, officials have relapsed into a familiar and unwelcome pattern of secrecy.
We urge them to reverse this approach now.
Starting when the expansion plan was first announced more than a decade ago, the project has been dogged by successive governments’ secrecy and failure to meaningfully engage with the public.
That’s why we strongly supported the announcement last year that consultants were sought to produce a comprehensive business case by reviewing the planned expansion in unprecedented detail and answering longstanding questions about its viability.
The review — which is purportedly following the robust “five-case model” recommended as best practice by His Majesty’s Treasury in the United Kingdom — is to examine the economic rationale for the project and provide a full cost-benefit analysis.
It is also expected to assess community input and potential impacts, analyse travel demand and potential for tourism growth, and estimate the cost and viability of the completed facility, among many other requirements.
In other words, the business case will address questions that have gone unanswered for more than a decade.
For the first time, it should also meet the requirement in the Protocols for Effective Financial Management, which the government and the United Kingdom signed in 2012, to produce a “business case” and a “robust” cost-benefit analysis before starting the procurement process for any major capital project.
Now, the first part of the five-part business case has been completed, and Cabinet approved it in September. But officials are refusing to publish the document for now, leaving residents in the dark ahead of planned public meetings later this month.
This is a big mistake. This project is slated to be the costliest infrastructure project in VI history by far. Residents deserve to have timely, detailed information about it to allow them to provide informed input.
To that end, proper public meetings are also urgently needed as soon as possible. To date, consultants from KPMG (BVI) Limited, who are conducting the business case, have hosted invitation-only consultations with “stakeholders.”
But these sessions do not count as public meetings."
https://www.bvibeacon.com/editorial-government-backpedals-on-airport-transparency
The Virgin Islands government has been assessing the case for the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island (yet again!). But it seems to be making the same mistakes as previous administrations.
Apparently, the premier thinks that a decision to move ahead is a “piece of cake” and a “no-brainer,” to paraphrase his public utterances on the subject! But at a minimum, he and other House of Assembly members should await the full assessment of the cost-benefit analysis currently being prepared by consultants.
This, in fact, is what his administration (and previous administrations) have pledged to do, only seemingly to renege despite agreements with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the UK Treasury.
The airport expansion would be the largest infrastructure project undertaken by the VI, and it would be advisable for the government to provide the fullest possible information to the electorate rather than engage in obfuscation.
More data: At least at this juncture, more data for analysis and sober reflection is available than for previous efforts (which principally used guesswork). Data, for instance, exists for American Airlines’ direct flights between the VI and Miami, including passenger totals, load factors, customs and immigration handling, baggage and so on. So any business case should be strengthened by the availability of this firm data.
https://www.bvibeacon.com/commentary-economist-weighs-in-on-airport-project/
Deal 20 yrs already gone....China is the best way to go, ask Ronnie for the China deal dicuments and take it from there..