The government’s plan to subsidise flights between the Virgin Islands and Antigua seems sound, provided that the cost is reasonable. We hope, however, that the measure is part of a broader comprehensive strategy designed to improve access to the territory by air and sea.
The VI’s longstanding access issues were exacerbated in April 2013 by thepullout of American Eagle, which represented a serious threat to the tourism industry.
That threat has been mitigated to some degree: Other airlines stepped in to take up the slack, and the government chipped in some $450,000 in subsidies to help Seaborne establish routes here last year.
But complaints continue about the high cost and logistical difficulties of flying to the VI.
Government has said that a major airport expansion is the answer, but officials have yet to provide the public with research or other information that adequately supports this claim. And even if they are correct, the project seems far from fruition: Since last July, when government announced that the bids came in about ten times higher than originally predicted, at around $400 million, officials have said little about it.
Moreover, even if the United Kingdom gives permission to borrow such a large sum, which seems unlikely, the expansion probably would take several years to complete.
In the meantime, then, a medium-term contingency plan is urgently needed.
The new subsidy, which will help VI Airlink provide additional flights to and from Antigua on weekends, doubtlessly will improve the territory’s accessibility from the United Kingdom, the European mainland and the Caribbean.
But this subsidy — the cost of which has not been disclosed — should be accompanied by other measures.
Government, for example, should consider providing more airline subsidies or other incentives, which should be awarded through a transparent process in order to ensure the best use of taxpayers’ money.
Meanwhile, the ferry system that carries passengers between this territory and the United States VI should be reformed from the ground up until it is providing comfortable and reliable service on a day-to-day basis — even if this means significant government intervention. Currently, the system is an embarrassment, in spite of successive administrations’ promises of improvement.
Of course, there will be a monetary cost to improving access to the territory, especially where government subsidies are required. But with careful planning and implementation, we suspect that a little funding could go a long way.
An independent study on air and sea access might be a good place to start. (And if such a study already has been carried out, the government should make it available to the public immediately.)
Ultimately, solving the territory’s access issues will require not one-off band-aids but a comprehensive approach to substantive reform.
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