Antigua International Airport

A four-hour extravaganza of music and politics announced the arrival last week of a new terminal at Antigua’s V C Bird international Airport (named after the founding Premier of Antigua).

This is such a major addition to the airport infrastructure that most islanders are referring to ‘the new airport’.  All flights will utilise the new US$100m terminal with the older building being used merely for administrative offices.

The former terminal received nearly 800,000 passengers in 2014 but its importance as a Caribbean hub is demonstrated by the fact that around two thirds of arrivals – 550,000 – were transferring to other Caribbean islands, many via the regional services of LIAT which is based at the airport.  But with Antigua doubling its hotel room stock within two years, the new 23,000m²  terminal is built for growth with the ability of handling 1,700 passengers per hour during its 24-hour working day.  There is no curfew.

Antigua’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Gaston Browne, said in his 40-minute opening speech that the Chinese financed and constructed terminal “is also a monument to the achievement of the people of Antigua and its sister island Barbuda.”

Only increasing arrival figures will demonstrate whether or not he is correct.  www.vcbia.com

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum