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The Virgin Gorda Airport could temporarily reopen in the coming weeks, depending on the decision of regulators, officials said yesterday.
Denniston Fraser, managing director of the BVI Airports Authority, said government officials plan to meet soon with representatives of Air Safety Support International, the territory’s air safety regulator, to discuss temporarily reinstating the airport’s licence to operate. If ASSI agrees, the airport could reopen as early as next week and remain open until May, Mr. Fraser said. The facility would then close, as it had previously been scheduled to, in order to remove large boulders and perform surveying works as part of an expansion that would bring the facility in compliance with safety standards. Once those works are complete, the airport could become eligible for a more permanent licence, he said. The January closure of the airport has affected 940 passengers and caused government to spend $38,500 to transfer visitors from Beef Island, Communications and Works Minister Julian Fraser said on Friday in the House of Assembly. Answering questions posed by Opposition Leader Dr. Orlando Smith, Mr. Fraser said the BVI Tourist Board and other departments have arranged for passengers to be met at the Terrance B. Lettsome Airport and transferred to VG. The minister said the government has incurred $4,700 in ground transportation costs and about $33,800 in ferry costs since the airport closed. He added that the BVITB hired an extra temporary employee to help deal with the additional workload.
The full article appears in the March 4, 2010 issue.
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