AIA climbing to its cruising altitude – Regisford

The Argyle International Airport (AIA) is climbing to its “cruising altitude” even as the airport prepares to celebrate another anniversary tomorrow February, 14.

So said Anthony Regisford, member of the AIA Board of Directors, as he spoke on the Issue at Hand programme on Sunday February, 11, 2024.

The AIA was officially opened on February 14, 2017, as a ‘gift of love’ to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and tomorrow Valentine’s Day, will mark its 7th year in operation.

Regisford, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, and Electrical Engineer Josette Greaves were on the mid-morning radio programme on WEFM last Sunday.

Regisford said that while the new airport is climbing to its cruising altitude, it is not there as yet.

“As in any flight, you will get some turbulence from time to time.”

Regardless of the turbulence, Regisford said the AIA is on the “right trajectory” and is experiencing growth in terms of passenger arrivals, airline turns and also in the number of airlines flying into and out of the AIA.

Based on its performance over the past seven years, Regisford said that the “AIA is having the right impact on the other economic pillars” in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The airport at Argyle was built at a cost of EC$750 million, with the assistance of friendly governments, whom Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves collectively called the ‘coalition of the willing’.”

On Sunday, Dr Gonsalves disclosed that after seven years in operation, the debt owed for the construction of the AIA, now stands at $175 million.

He also expressed gratitude to all the countries which assisted St Vincent and the Grenadines in getting the much needed international airport.

When the airport began operations in 2017, two air bridges were purchased each costing US $1 million and were installed at operate at the AIA, however, only one air bridge is functional at present as the other has suffered corrosion from sea blast.

Greaves said this is a challenge as the airport is located close to the sea. She said that a replacement part for the damaged air bridge has already been ordered and should be here by the end of this month.

In a bid to conserve energy and reduce its electricity consumption, the AIA is operating a 1.1 mega watt solar farm.

Greaves said that this year, the solar farm is projected to provide 72% of the AIA’s energy requirements.

She also said that there are 300 employees at the AIA and that last year, 225,000 passengers moved though the airport, which is a 30% increase over the 2022 number, and just 11% below pre-covid figures.