Don’t release airport business case, Skelton Cline
Claude Skelton Cline Commentator Claude Skelton Cline has urged the government not to make the business case for the expansion of the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport public, warning that...
Claude Skelton Cline Commentator Claude Skelton Cline has urged the government not to make the business case for the expansion of the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport public, warning that it could harm the territory’s interests. Speaking on his Honestly Speaking radio programme, Skelton Cline stressed the urgency of advancing the long-discussed project before the next general election. “I understand that there are some people who are asking for the business case to become public.
I want to discourage you from doing that. Don’t let people drag you into something that is not going to be in the ultimate interest of the country,” he stated. Skelton Cline insisted that the airport project is essential for strengthening the Virgin Islands’ tourism sector, which he described as a vital economic pillar. “I don’t know how you can live in 2025 and not be in favour of the improvement — the expansion of our airlift,’ he argued. “Tourism is the one thing that can’t go anywhere, unless we don’t have the infrastructure in which to accommodate it.” Call for urgency and expertise The talk show host pressed the government to complete the necessary steps quickly to avoid repeating past delays. “If you monkey around and don’t get this airport going, approved, then we’re going to decide whether or not we keep you in office,” Skelton Cline said. “Every time we change governments, national plans get thrown back eight more years.
The National Democratic Party should have built this airport at the end of their first term. We would have been flying high now for real,” he explained. Skelton Cline pointed to the construction of the cruise pier park under his leadership at the BVI Ports Authority as an example of how strong legal expertise and careful negotiations can ensure successful development.
He argued that the airport project requires similar oversight. “For something of this magnitude, you need a law firm… every comma, every dot, every period, every clause has implications,” he said. Partnership with the UK Skelton Cline also urged the government to work closely with Britain on the project, given the need for UK approval. “You’ve got to formulate a partnership with the United Kingdom, even if it is a UK firm legal, even if it’s a UK firm as contractor or lead,” he insisted.
He added that any agreement should ensure Virgin Islanders benefit directly through local contracting and materials supply. The Terrance B Lettsome International Airport expansion has been on the agenda for more than a decade. The project has faced repeated setbacks over financing concerns, shifting cost estimates, and political disagreements.
Calls for transparency have grown louder in recent years, with critics arguing that the business case should be scrutinised before public funds are committed.
Primary source: BVI News