Wallblake Airport is to be lengthened to six thousand feet, 400 more feet beyond the length previously decided on but with no additional cost in construction. That’s the latest information which was revealed at a press conference on Tuesday. It was held by Kenn Banks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Fritz Smith, Airport Project Manager and Marcel Fahie, Permanent Secretary, Economic Development.

Kenn Banks said the additional length was agreed on following discussions which he and Fritz Smith had in Antigua on May 9 with the Civil Aviation Authority. The extra feet will take care of the approach slope to the runway, avoid obstructions at the western end and provide additional space for aircraft operations. Banks explained that at present the visual approach slope is four degrees, and with the expansion work, the aim is to have a slope of 3.3 degrees. This calls for some final designs of the airstrip by the UK-based consultants. Notwithstanding this, plans are still on track to have the airport started by September as agreed with American Eagle to ensure the airline continues to provide service to Anguilla even after the end of this year.

Smith said that in preparation for the start of the airport, work is to begin next week on the construction of seven more replacement homes for residents east of the runway in the Forest and towards the Rey Hill area. Later on other homes will be built to the south of the runway and at the western end. The first house, started some weeks ago in The Forest area, is already at the ring beam stage.

Mr. Smith stated that the further lengthening of the runway would not affect the land requirement as discussions had already taken place with owners for additional land. The cost of resettlement in terns of homes and land acquisition is now estimated at 3.5 million US dollars.

One of the design issues being looked at is the question of drainage. According to Smith a holding pond will be constructed south of the runway initially for water to be used in the construction work and later as a catchment for run-off water from the north of the airport. This water will be available for irrigation purposes. Other discussions taking place with consultants include diversion roads, relocation of lines for the utility companies; and starting of advance excavation work at Corito to provide the 700,000 cubic meters of fill needed for the runway. Work is also to be done on clearing the site to facilitate the construction work on the airport in September.

Marcel Fahie gave an account of the financial requirements for the expansion of the airport. On the question of the change in lengthening the runway from 5,600 to 6,000 feet, he stated that according to the contractor’s assessment the work could still be done within the budget of nineteen million US dollars. He explained that this was possible as the contractor had found that there would be some savings under the 5,600 foot expansion option. He observed that although the need to extend the airport arose from the approach slope requirements, it provided an additional distance for take off and other aircraft operations.

Mr. Fahie explained how the required US$19 million would be obtained. The British Government is funding the cost of the design and supervision work of the consultants amounting to between seven and eight percent of the above figure. The Anguilla Government is putting in, out of its local budget the cost of the land acquisition and resettlement estimated to be in the region of EC$11 million which could go up to 12 million or about US$4 million on completion.

Fahie went on: “What we can say is that roughly five and a half million US dollars will be taken care of by the Anguilla Government and the grant from the British out of the 19 million so at least thirteen and half million remains to be financed. The Anguilla Government has proposed to borrow that amount to meet the financing requirement. However, in discussions with us the British Government strongly recommended that we should try to secure eight million Euros which have been allocated to Anguilla under the 9th European Fund Allocation which is roughly about nine million US.

“At present we are in regular communication with the European Development Fund and we have indicated that we need a clear confirmation by July whether in fact the EDF would be available to assist in the financing of the airport. If that comes on stream, the way we would fund the thirteen and a half million would be to initially fund about half of that by a long-term loan and the balance we would fund as a short-term loan maybe for 24 months which would give enough time for the EDF money to become available…If the EDF funds are available that would be a grant and it would limit our need to borrow to anything … as low as four and a half or five million dollars long-term.” He said the entire grant would not be used for the airport project as there were other important projects requiring financing.

Mr. Fahie pointed out that the Anguilla Government has to raise its input in the airport project. According to him, the money is being raised by the sale of a portion of shares the Government owns in the Anguilla Electricity Company. That sale is expected to take place between mid-July and early August and to fetch EC$15 million for the airport and other capital projects.

Fahie said that the Anguilla Government had requested clearance from the British Government to do whatever borrowing was necessary to fund the airport project. “The private sector is climbing over each other wanting to have the opportunity to provide loan-funding to the Government,” he continued. “We have had at least four solid proposals for up to US$15 million from very well established international banks as well as indigenous banks in Anguilla…The proposals generally are to provide funding for up to fifteen years with an initial grace period on repayment of principal of up to three years and the interest rates offered range between seven and seven and a half percent over that period.”

He disclosed that interest in providing financing had also been expressed by other investors but they had not presented any firm proposals to the Government.

“We are very actively investigating the position with the EDF because that would be the real source to get our airport done and if we would only have to borrow between five and seven million US dollars, that would be excellent,” Mr. Fahie added.

L-r: Fritz Smith, Kenn Banks, Marcel Fahie

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