By Makeda Mikael
Antigua recorded a bumper season for corporate jets over the past month as the 1% of the world’s rich converged on the Caribbean with their mega yachts and following service boats with helicopter, sea toys and crew quarters, and their jets parked in Antigua.
Photos show St. Bart’s almost hidden from view by the myriad of high-end luxury yachts surrounding the island. Antigua and St. Vincent also had their share of yachts, but Runway 10, V.C. Bird International Airport was clearly the the Caribbean’s parking lot of corporate aircraft.
When one considers that just 20 years ago Runway 10″was a derelict and Dis-Used airport runway where contraband was traded in the dark, a backyard dump of rubble from Castle Harbour Hotel through which trees grew blocking out the fantastic view of the sea and Jumby Bay island beyond Barnacle Point.
Today, Runway 10 Parking ramp also referred to a ramp E, although in desperate need of repair, was crammed with visiting aircraft from UK, Europe, U.S.and Latin America, some of which countries were not permitted to park on some of the other islands.
With the continued surges of the virus in the first and second world countries the rich, famous and Royal personages in their yachts are dropping anchor around the islands and homing at their Caribbean holiday homes and settling in for a longer stay this year.
The reports are that sales are on the rise for corporate aircraft and fractional ownership is moving up to individual ownership, creating new possibilities for more corporate movements around the world at all levels and types and sizes of of bizjets.
That Antigua is at a crossroads for expansion in corporate aviation was clearly exhibited this winter season, where parking on Bird Airport was close and must be expanded in recognition of Antigua being in the lead, with the first Full Service FBO in the Eastern Caribbean and the only 30,000 sq.ft. mega-hangar specifically built for corporate hangarage.
Plans are afoot to implement aspects of the development plans which have been on the table for several years including extra parking for the expected increase in hosting the region’s bizjet-to-yacht fleet of heavy metal.
It important to note that although one FBO is expatriate owned it was originally pioneered by locals and staffed with experienced Linesmen and Customer Service Representatives who are all Antiguan. Often the local initiative is overlooked because of an international name but it is usually the workers who make the name of any business, and a business is as good as its workers.
Antigua & Barbuda has been the haunt of the rich and famous with the advent of Mill Reef Club in latter part of the 1940s post W11 when war weary rich Americans chose Antigua over the other islands of the Caribbean for a holiday home away from the U.S. and Antigua was near enough to fly directly home.
With Mill Reef came PANAM, pioneering aviation in Antigua, and with Mill Reef came Corporate Aviation when the Flight Department of the Paul Melon aircraft in 1999 wrote to the Government of Antigua & Barbuda endorsing the need to support a locally owned Full Service FBO.
2 responses to “Antigua records bumper season for corporate jets”
A good historical perspective.
Many centuries ago, these 1 percent rich were actually the 1 percent poor who came to our lands with their death, destruction and domination. Now centuries later history repeats itself. What does the 1 percent rich want with our land? They know the value of our land that’s why, and sadly we don’t.