Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 27, 2025

Premier Announces Plan For Direct Flights To U.S Mainland With Current Runway

Premier Announces Plan For Direct Flights To U.S Mainland With Current Runway

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Andrew Fahie has announced that at least one airline is willing to operate direct flights between the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the United States (U.S) mainland with the current runway at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.

“This is a good time to let you also know that we are expecting to have a major boost to the airlift in the Virgin Islands in the next few months,” Premier Fahie told residents during a meeting at Cappoon’s Bay last evening, December 29.

He added, “Your government is working. Your Government and the BVI Airports Authority have been in discussions with airlines and at least one airline has given strong positive feedback as it relates to flying into the Terrance B. Lettsome International airport with a larger, longer-range aircraft and landing on the runway at his current length.”

Technical details have been worked out and you will be hearing more about this soon.

“With God’s help simply put you will soon be able to fly from the BVI straight to the mainland whether Miami or Fort Lauderdale and back. This is your Government working for you,” the Premier stated.

He did not disclose the name of the airline although it was said last year that airport officials were having discussions with American Airlines (AA) for direct flights with the U.S.

“What I can tell you is that we can look forward to increase visitor arrivals at the airport, making greater use of our existing infrastructure while we are working on extending the runway to accommodate the larger airplanes. We have to make what we have in our hand work for us now. This is not just good management; it is innovative management by your Government as a team. And it is in line with our approach to maximize the use of our airports,” Premier Fahie stated.

Under Pressure To Deliver Direct Flights


Last July the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration came under pressure from residents when AA announced direct flights from Miami for Anguilla and Dominica.

This prompted the Government to disclose that high-level talks were underway between the BVI and AA for flights from Miami to the territory.
Premier Fahie had pointed out that the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport runway is some 800 feet shorter than Anguilla and that was one of the areas for concern for AA.

“They can come in, but they are concerned that if they come in full, and it’s raining and it's wet that they cannot land and they don’t want to take that chance. So we have been working with them, and we have had more meetings to see what we can narrow down,” Premier Fahie had disclosed last July.

The issue of direct flights with the U.S has been on the agenda of successive Governments for over two decades. The most recent attempt was under the National Democratic Party (NDP) administration which initiated the controversial BVI Airways Project that eventually run aground before any commercial flight took place.

The NDP Government had poured $7.2M of taxpayer money into the project that has since faced a police probe and most recently became a subject at the United Kingdom’s Commission Of Inquiry which is looking into allegations of Government corruption.

In December 2019, history was created as the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport welcomed its largest-ever commercial flight to the territory.

An estimated 60 passengers arrived on Titan Airways Airbus A318 on a direct flight from Canada.

Increased Airlift


At the Cappoon’s Bay meeting last evening, the Premier boasted about the strides Government has made with regards to airlift.

He shared that the Augustine George Airport in Anegada is now approved for night flights while upgrades at the Taddy Bay International Airport on Virgin Gorda has allowed for direct flights with Puerto Rico.

According to the Premier, the extension of the Terrance B. International Airport is inevitable especially with a range of transformational initiatives to come on stream including medical schools.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×