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Rouge for Ian Fleming?
Gov’t eyes Canadian airline for commercial flights out of airport
BY INGRID BROWN Associate editor - special assignment browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, July 08, 2013
COMMERIAL flights out of the Ian Fleming Inter-national Airport in Boscobel, St Mary, could become a reality in the not-too-distant future, as Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill said he has recently had preliminary discussions with a Canada-based airline about the possibility of flying into that port.
This, as McNeill acknowledged that an expansion of that airport would go a long way in boosting tourism in Portland.
Government say they have started informal talks with Air Canada’s new leisure airline Rouge about flying into the Ian Fleming Airport in Boscobel, St Mary.
"We had some discussions with Rouge (Air Canada's new leisure airline) about it (Ian Fleming), and we have had some discussions with American Airlines," McNeill said in response to a question posed by the Jamaica Observer North East during the weekly Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston last Wednesday.
Although a designated international airport, Ian Fleming — named in honour of the late British author who created the James Bond character — is unable to accommodate larger jets because of the 4,780ft length of the runway.
A call for an extension of the runway in order to land aircraft with passenger loads larger than those of private jets, has been getting louder in tourism circles, as they say the move will reduce ground travel times for visitors.
Following Wednesday's briefing, Director of Tourism John Lynch explained to the Observer North East that the discussions with Rouge have been preliminary.
"We had an informal discussion with Rouge and we were talking about a possibility of a smaller aircraft flying into there, but there is nothing formal yet," he said.
Talks, he said, were also had with American Airlines, which had commissioned a study to determine what additional length would be necessary for Ian Fleming to accommodate its regional jets.
However, Lynch said a lot has changed at American Airlines since those initial discussions were had nearly two years ago, as this was prior to the US-based airline's partnership with US Airways.
"So nobody has since put anything concrete on the table to say 'if you do this with the runway we will do that', and so that decision is still under review," said Lynch.
Meanwhile, the tourism minister said Government has to take into consideration the cost-benefit associated with expanding the Ian Fleming Airport to accommodate commercial flights.
"We are living under certain restrictions now because there is a reality that anything we spend must have that return, because we have that IMF (International Monetary Fund) agreement, and we must be responsible in what we do," McNeill said.
According to the minister, the next option would be to explore the possibilities of public/private partnerships.
"Where Government has the limitation that we have now, it is a good place for public/private partnerships for other investors who would be willing to commit," he said.
He added: "...Once you are bringing in people, there is money to be earned, but [if] Government [is] to find the money for that expansion it would be competing with other things such as schools and hospitals, so you would have to make sure you have your 'I's dotted and 'T's crossed in terms of commercial return," he said.
There has been a push from both sector players and residents of the north and eastern sections of the island, for commercial flights to begin operating out of the airport, which was upgraded to international status in 2011.
Some residents are just as eager as tourism stakeholders to see that development, as they insist that in addition to taking more visitors into both St Mary and Portland, scheduled air service will significantly slash the high ground transportation, costs they now pay to get to the island's two main international airports in Kingston and Montego Bay.
Persons travelling to and from Portland to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay pay between $15,000 and $18,000 for ground transportation and between $8,000 and $9,000 to the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
The Portland chapter of the Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA) say the operation of commercial flights out of Ian Fleming could finally allow them to get some much-needed business.
A visit to the airport by the Observer North East a few months ago revealed that there was very little for staff to do, as there were no flights to be processed.
In fact, the silence at the Ian Fleming airport, was deafening. as security guards, customs and immigration workers sat idley, with no passengers in sight and no immediate scheduled arrivals.
An employee at the airport who requested anonymity said they field calls almost daily from Jamaicans and tourists alike, asking whether they can get a commercial flight out of the airport. For now, the airport facilitates only small international and locally operated chartered flights with a total of 14 passengers.
"Sometimes we have some of the local charter flights taking tourists from the other airports to here," the employee said.
The airport operates between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm unless there is a special request to accommodate a charter beyond those times.
The airport has the requisite facilities to accommodate passengers coming in on a commercial flight, the employee added.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2YShYZsWr
Rouge for Ian Fleming?
Gov’t eyes Canadian airline for commercial flights out of airport
BY INGRID BROWN Associate editor - special assignment browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, July 08, 2013
COMMERIAL flights out of the Ian Fleming Inter-national Airport in Boscobel, St Mary, could become a reality in the not-too-distant future, as Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill said he has recently had preliminary discussions with a Canada-based airline about the possibility of flying into that port.
This, as McNeill acknowledged that an expansion of that airport would go a long way in boosting tourism in Portland.
Government say they have started informal talks with Air Canada’s new leisure airline Rouge about flying into the Ian Fleming Airport in Boscobel, St Mary.
"We had some discussions with Rouge (Air Canada's new leisure airline) about it (Ian Fleming), and we have had some discussions with American Airlines," McNeill said in response to a question posed by the Jamaica Observer North East during the weekly Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston last Wednesday.
Although a designated international airport, Ian Fleming — named in honour of the late British author who created the James Bond character — is unable to accommodate larger jets because of the 4,780ft length of the runway.
A call for an extension of the runway in order to land aircraft with passenger loads larger than those of private jets, has been getting louder in tourism circles, as they say the move will reduce ground travel times for visitors.
Following Wednesday's briefing, Director of Tourism John Lynch explained to the Observer North East that the discussions with Rouge have been preliminary.
"We had an informal discussion with Rouge and we were talking about a possibility of a smaller aircraft flying into there, but there is nothing formal yet," he said.
Talks, he said, were also had with American Airlines, which had commissioned a study to determine what additional length would be necessary for Ian Fleming to accommodate its regional jets.
However, Lynch said a lot has changed at American Airlines since those initial discussions were had nearly two years ago, as this was prior to the US-based airline's partnership with US Airways.
"So nobody has since put anything concrete on the table to say 'if you do this with the runway we will do that', and so that decision is still under review," said Lynch.
Meanwhile, the tourism minister said Government has to take into consideration the cost-benefit associated with expanding the Ian Fleming Airport to accommodate commercial flights.
"We are living under certain restrictions now because there is a reality that anything we spend must have that return, because we have that IMF (International Monetary Fund) agreement, and we must be responsible in what we do," McNeill said.
According to the minister, the next option would be to explore the possibilities of public/private partnerships.
"Where Government has the limitation that we have now, it is a good place for public/private partnerships for other investors who would be willing to commit," he said.
He added: "...Once you are bringing in people, there is money to be earned, but [if] Government [is] to find the money for that expansion it would be competing with other things such as schools and hospitals, so you would have to make sure you have your 'I's dotted and 'T's crossed in terms of commercial return," he said.
There has been a push from both sector players and residents of the north and eastern sections of the island, for commercial flights to begin operating out of the airport, which was upgraded to international status in 2011.
Some residents are just as eager as tourism stakeholders to see that development, as they insist that in addition to taking more visitors into both St Mary and Portland, scheduled air service will significantly slash the high ground transportation, costs they now pay to get to the island's two main international airports in Kingston and Montego Bay.
Persons travelling to and from Portland to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay pay between $15,000 and $18,000 for ground transportation and between $8,000 and $9,000 to the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
The Portland chapter of the Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA) say the operation of commercial flights out of Ian Fleming could finally allow them to get some much-needed business.
A visit to the airport by the Observer North East a few months ago revealed that there was very little for staff to do, as there were no flights to be processed.
In fact, the silence at the Ian Fleming airport, was deafening. as security guards, customs and immigration workers sat idley, with no passengers in sight and no immediate scheduled arrivals.
An employee at the airport who requested anonymity said they field calls almost daily from Jamaicans and tourists alike, asking whether they can get a commercial flight out of the airport. For now, the airport facilitates only small international and locally operated chartered flights with a total of 14 passengers.
"Sometimes we have some of the local charter flights taking tourists from the other airports to here," the employee said.
The airport operates between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm unless there is a special request to accommodate a charter beyond those times.
The airport has the requisite facilities to accommodate passengers coming in on a commercial flight, the employee added.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2YShYZsWr
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