Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 20, 2025

BVI needs to expand airport for direct flights- Bishop John I. Cline

With the United Kingdom's post-Brexit phase starting officially on February 1, 2020, outspoken pastor of the New Life Baptist Church in Duffs Bottom, Tortola, Mr John I. Cline said the Virgin Islands should now focus on improving local industries with the aim of securing its future, as the UK severs ties with the European Union.

"Tourism should be strengthened, and I believe that there's some efforts being made to strengthen our tourism product. It's a shame that for the last some twenty years, thirty years, the only new product we had is Scrub [Island Resort]... while the rest of the Caribbean is full speed ahead showing up their tourism product," Bishop John I. Cline said on the Tuesday, January 28, 2020, edition of the My BVI radio show.


Strengthing VI for BREXIT

Along with co-host, Dr Albert L. Thompkins, and former Mrs BVI, Angelle A. Cameron, the discussion surrounded the possible implications of BREXIT on the VI and how the Virgin Islands should react.

According to Bishop Cline, with or without Brexit, the Territory ought to be thinking about ways to create more revenue streams that support the main financial services pillar.

"I was not one of those who was a great advocate for the airport in the past, but I have the right to change my mind," he said.

Mr Cline continued, "I felt that the previous government, they were nor fiscally responsible, we were not getting the information that we needed to make a proper public decision, in terms of why this is necessary with financial services on the decline."

Further, he said the National Democratic Party's (NDP) budget was increasing; however, yearly income continued to decline, "Who is going to pay for it? Tell us something, we are intelligent voters!" the man of the cloth charged.


Direct Flights to Miami

According to Bishop Cline, with past tourism projects under NDP, like its Anegada airport expansion project in particular, everything was being outsourced, "it was a concern, but these days when you see what's happening in Grenada, you can fly from Miami to Grenada."

He said just about every Caribbean island has direct flights to the US, with the exception of the Virgin Islands (VI) which is hampering the industry.

"And even though people are still coming, I believe that it would be a great asset to our tourism product and make it more even attractive, doing business outside of the tourism industry," he said.


Change of Heart

Back in 2016, Bishop Cline threw a wet blanket on the much-touted airport expansion that was extensively pushed by the then Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr D. Orlando Smith and the Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr Kedrick D. Pickering.

“There is a lot of talk about the airport, I am definitely not in favour of the airport, right now,” Bishop Cline said on the talk show Vigilate Dialog, hosted by Shaina M. Smith.

According to Bishop Cline, the then airport project is one that should be put on the back burner until such time that the Territory’s finances are in a better standing.

“I think for our tourist product what we need is a good concierge service. We meet them in St Thomas, when they get off that plane we rent a nice little lounge in St Thomas, we put them in there. The government invests in two wonderfully air-conditioned running on-time ferries with proper management,” Bishop Cline said back then.


Direct flights within a year

Premier and Minister of Fiannce, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), has previously said the VI would maximise “what is there” before thinking about lengthening the runway, which he said remains an ongoing discussion.

Speaking to Government Information Service (GIS) on December 20, 2019 on the occasion of the historic landing at the Terrance B. International Airport of the Titan Airways Airbus a318 that had completed a flight from Canada directly to the Virgin Islands, Premier Fahie disclosed that the BVI Airports Authority (BVIPA) was in discussions with airlines with aircrafts such as the size of the Airbus a318 to make direct flights, with possible flights from the VI to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and then to Miami, USA, with a direct flight on return to the VI, “And some going from here straight to Miami and back.”

“So we are going to maximise what we have, to provide airlift from the VI to Canada, the US and other parts of the world,” Hon Fahie had said.

The Premier had also said the Virgin Islands would realise such flights within a year, adding that the expected increase in airlifts, particularly to Canada and the United States, would help to boost the VI’s tourism product, “it’s going to help our economy, it’s going to help diversify our economy in many ways.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
×