Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

$8.9M in grants for USVI airports; UK still reaping $$ from VI

$8.9M in grants for USVI airports; UK still reaping $$ from VI

While the United Kingdom (UK) based Air Safety Support International (ASSI) continues to take millions from the Virgin Islands (VI) treasury, over in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), the airports there will receive some $8.9M in infrastructure grants from the Donald J. Trump administration.

US Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced today, September 1, 2020, that more than $1.2 billion will be awarded in airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 405 airports in 50 states and six US territories.

“This $1.2 billion federal investment will improve our nation’s airport infrastructure, enhance safety, and strengthen growth in local communities, which is especially important as the economy recovers from COVID-19,” said Chao.

The Department is awarding some 8.9M in federal grants to the following airports in the Territory of the US Virgin Islands:

$4,711,111 for Cyril E. King Airport on St Thomas to reconstruct the aircraft parking apron.

$4,148,395 for Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St Croix to purchase an emergency generator and reconstruct runway and taxiway lighting and lighting vault.

“The 434 AIP grants will fund critical airport infrastructure projects around the country,” said FAA Administrator Stephen M. Dickson.

Since January 2017, the Trump Administration delivered $13.5 billion to America’s airports to improve infrastructure and safety.

In 2020, the Administration delivered $10 billion in economic assistance to America’s airports during the COVID-19 public health emergency.


US Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced today, September 1, 2020, that more than $1.2 billion will be awarded in airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 405 airports in 50 states and six US territories.


UK taking $$ from VI


Meanwhile, in has been well over 15 years that ASSI has taken over the role of regulating airports in the Virgin Islands, costing taxpayers millions of dollars that could have been used to train locals to run the regulatory side of the government department and improve the safety concerns that led to the takeover in the first place.

It was in 2004 that the then National Democratic Party (NDP) Administration was to set up a Civil Aviation Department with its new role, but suddenly it was said that there was no qualified Virgin Islander to fill the new post of Director of Civil Aviation under the new portfolio.

The same year, 2004, quite interestingly an audit was done by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, which claimed there were deficiencies with the Virgin Islands airports, including reported safety issues. The same things were also said about many other Overseas Territories airports by the UK report.


Auguste George Airport in Anegada. Bottom: Taddy Bay Airport on Virgin Gorda. While the United Kingdom (UK) based Air Safety Support International (ASSI) continues to take millions from the Virgin Islands (VI) treasury, over in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), the airports there will receive some $8.9M in infrastructure grants from the Donald J. Trump administration.


The plan!


The UK then came up with a plan to take over many of the Overseas Territories’ Civil Aviation Departments, including the Virgin Islands’ (VI) and closed many of their Civil Aviation Departments, claiming that they wanted to help and provide a more cohesive system of civil aviation safety regulations.

With the support of many of the Overseas Territories’ governors, including the then Governor Tom T. Macan, the British set up a wholly-owned subsidiary company called Air Safety Support International (ASSI), a subsidiary company of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.

This company was to take over the role of Civil Aviation Departments and, according to the UK, at some point ASSI would gradually hand over the functions back to the VI, along with the other Overseas Territories affected, once they were deemed “ready to take over.”

More than 15 years later, ASSI remains firmly in control and taking millions in taxpayers money to do what can be done by locals.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
×