By Aviator
The next 10 years held five years of relative freedom to grow into the 26.44 acres of forbidden but legally owned lands within an international airport. The very thing which caused Antigua to breach the international code of aviation ethics, was now in the very lap of one of the main objectors.
Antigua Hangars Inc. now owned 80% of the lands directly around the Dis-used Runway, now a parking ramp, a 30,000 sq ft Hangar, Luxury Lounge, Conference and Board rooms. Operation followed an overhaul of the property which had been sitting unused for five years, in a termite condition caused by neglect of those in care of the area.
Negotiations with the airport CEO who was an aviation graduate in airport operations, encouraged the security consideration of removing the perimeter fence to exclude the extensive gardens from the airside restricted zone of RWY10. Mindful of the natural beauty of the gardens , the former owner, a banker, did not consider the Safety requirement was starkness not beauty.
READ PART 1: Rising against the wind (Runway 10 — Part 1)
Bizjet-to-Yacht Antigua Inc. acting in the capacity of the operating company, for land owning Antigua Hangars Inc. started off catering to its former clients, with added amenities of Hangarage and later brokered Fuel, in a luxurious setting. A new level of services brought into Antigua some of the wealthiest persons with their mega yachts and new private jets, for which the hangar offered privacy and security, in the only executive hangar available in the Eastern Caribbean. Business was on a roll and the airport was still a happy and well run facility.
With the change in the management of VCBIA in 2019, deterioration in the observance of Rules & Regulations began with square pegs being placed into round holes, and old plantation methods of reducing humans with contempt, became the new management operative. Squabbles between operators started to impede the progress made over the years, and hostilities entered what was a well managed airport gateway.
By 2020 the systems were turning to graft, and rules became breakable, in order to elevate some operators who provided gifts. A monopoly was set in place on RWY10 to benefit one operator, in spite of FAA and other international regulations. Instead of making the assets of the country serve the corporate aviation industry, the airport management sought to curtail the local operator, by grounding the executive helicopter of a most important company, although ABAA had no authority to ground aircraft.
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The objective of ABAA was breaking the business spirit of the local operator, to ensure the monopoly of the corporate business, which was a source of personal enrichment. In order to cripple the region’s first FBO entrepreneur and the first female aviation fueler, the Airport Security hauled the Security passes of the fuel truck drivers and removed their access to RWY10, thereby preventing the local operator Bizjet, from selling fuel, although fully authorized and totally compliant.
The Head of Security then threatened the contractor LIAT, whose tug pushed aircraft into the Bizjet Hangar. LIAT was told if found pushing aircraft on RWY10 their passes would be taken away. Bizjet revenues had to be curtailed at all cost, so that bankruptcy or other means ran the local company off the airport. The final nail in the coffin was to place a NOTAM, which is a Notice to Airmen, stating to the world of Aviation, that they must use the foreign operator for all services on RWY10. This 90 day NOTAM was made permanent.
All revenues of the local operator Bizjet were now in the bottom line of the foreign Operator, the mission to bankrupt the local operator was almost accomplished.
However, some businesses and people are hard to kill. And , although the Government Statutory body ABAA became the fulfillment of ‘using the resources of the state to bankrupt’ the local company, Bizjet is still alive, and the landowner Antigua Hangars continues to hold strong on the people’s land in its temporary care.
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Following true to the ideals of a repentant Sir Lester Bird, who asked for the return of the VCBIA footprint, the landowner is once more persuading the Government, to come to the table and fairly resolve the regulatory issue of ownership of lands, within the perimeter fence of the international airport in a development initiative for all.
Meanwhile, ABBA continues to fail the aviation industry in human resource development, as they continue to fill round holes with square pegs, and utilizing old persons well past the technological stage of absorption, instead of settling RWY10 with their old landowner, who also needs to be retired.
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The post Rising against the wind (Runway 10 — Part 2) appeared first on Antigua Breaking News.
