The possibility that the American Eagle might withdraw its ATR-42 aircraft from Anguilla at the end of the year, at the start of the new tourism season is not a comforting thought. It is a serious matter which must be addressed from now. We cannot allow the life blood of our economy, hotels, workers and their dependants to suffer from any loss in our tourist numbers and income levels without taking some decisive action to address the situation.

It is a great pity that we are caught in such a dilemma as a result of the long delay in getting our airport extension started while other islands like Tortola and Nevis have passed us by. But it is no time to lament. If the American Eagle has to pull out because of its need to develop its services to the wider Caribbean area and for other reasons, we in Anguilla must try to find a way out to deal with the situation and protect our tourism industry. We are not certain that American Eagle would find it possible or practical to grant a special dispensation to Anguilla by waiting a little longer before withdrawing its ATR-42s from this island, taking into account the long and cordial relationship between Anguilla and the airline.

The alternatives may include making arrangements with other aircraft which may be able to provide a scheduled shuttle passenger service from San Juan either directly to Anguilla or indirectly through the St.Maarten gateway. Whatever is eventually arranged, two important considerations must be kept in mind by those concerned. Flight arrangements must be flawless to accommodate tired passengers flying in from the American continent and other parts of the world via Puerto Rico and possibly neighbouring St. Maarten; and everything must be done, as already stated, to ensure that Anguilla’s tourism industry is not in any way jeopardised.

We are confident that the upcoming meetings involving the Airport Project Board, hoteliers, airline officials and more importantly representatives of the American Eagle will find some way around the situation. If the Eagle were to pull out of Anguilla on December 31, with Wallblake Airport waiting for completion nine months later and there are other intervening problems with passenger movements, we would be in a very sad state. We hope that something can be done quickly to allay the fears of our people.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News