Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering told the crowd gathered at the East End/Long Look Community Centre Tuesday night that he was not there to discuss whether or not government would lengthen the runway at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. He was there, he said, to discuss how the project would be done.
“Let us be clear about something. Government has made a decision to expand the airport, but no other decision has been made beyond that,” Dr. Pickering said at the opening of a public meeting to discuss the plans.
He noted that the National Democratic Party had campaigned heavily on the issue before the November election, asserting that a longer runway to accommodate bigger jets and more frequent flights is crucial to maintaining the territory’s tourism product.
Opponents of the plans, many of whom attended Tuesday’s meeting, have voiced concerns about the plan’s effects on Beef Island’s economy and environment, questioning whether the plan will work and whether a longer runway is needed at all.
See the March 29, 2012 edition for full coverage.