The inaugural flight of Anguilla Air Express touched down at Wallblake Airport in Anguilla to the cheers of Government officials, members of the Tourist Board and the Hotel and Tourism Association on Saturday, February 14, providing some well-needed access on the San Juan-Anguilla route and vice versa.

Inaugural Flight of Anguilla Air Express

The luxury 8-seater turboprop aircraft, piloted by Captain Cardigan Hodge and Co-pilot Gary Manion, brought in eight travel agents and writers whose publicity visit was coordinated by Marie Walker, the Anguilla Tourist Board’s Director of Marketing for North America. The three flights a day service is being provided by Rainbow International, the operating company owned by Anguillians Kirby and Rose Hodge.

Pilots Gary Manion and Cardigan Hodge

Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, Tourism Adviser, Donna Banks, Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board and Alfred Thompson of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, were among the welcoming party at the airport. As the travel agents and writers disembarked from the aircraft, they expressed much delight and appreciation for the new service and the excellent flight. They were hosted at a reception in the VIP Lounge chaired by Donna Banks who was grateful for the kind comments of the passengers and promised that everything would be done to ensure Anguilla lived up to the expectations given to them on the maiden voyage to the island. “We will not reduce the level and quality of service that is being offered, but rather we will seek always to enhance and to improve it,” she said.

Chief Minister welcomes arriving passengers

Ms. Banks was happy that after having encountered difficulties to get other airlines to provide better access to Anguilla to complement the one night flight by the American Eagle to the island, the Access Committee working with her had been able to obtain the agreement of the owners of the Anguillian-owned airline to provide the additional service. “We have sought the assistance of many airlines and it may have been an ordained thing that today we, as Anguillians, have come to the point of recognising that we can be the solution,” she stated. “Certainly, when doors are closed on the outside, within us we can find the strength. I am sincerely hoping that in the days ahead that we will all rally around this service…because our visitors need options and the more we can provide them the better our opportunities will be to stay competitive in the market. Anguilla Air Express is just another option that we are offering to our visitors.”

Travel Agent Jim Ruggia speaking to reporters

Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming joined in welcoming the travel agents and writers and hoped that their write-ups would encourage a significant number of visitors to Anguilla and to use the new air service which he described as a Valentine gift to Anguilla. He told them that, as evidenced by the large number of executive jets on the airstrip, the island was an up-market destination thus attracting a high level of clientele and carriers. He saw the service by Anguilla Air Express as a bold step by the proprietors of the airline and hoped that everyone concerned would ensure its continued success. “We now have an airline which is prepared to serve not only tourists but Anguillians as well and we want to wish this airline all the best,” Mr. Fleming stated. “The Government of Anguilla will do all it can to ensure that this service works well. It is only the beginning. We expect that one day we will not have an 8-seater [aircraft] but a 60-seater as the market opens up and grows.”

Chief Minister Fleming, Tourism and Hotel Officials

The Chief Minister said the Tourist Board had a hard job in these difficult economic times but could not sit idly by waiting for the economy to get better. On the contrary there was a need to get to work now so that when better times came the necessary preparations, such as good access to Anguilla, were already in place.

Anguilla Air Express staff at Wallblake

Alfred Thompson gave welcome remarks on behalf of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association. He congratulated the Anguilla Government, the Ministry of Tourism and Ms. Banks in particular for their efforts in securing the new air service. He said the service was “a work in progress” for the tourism industry and hoped to see the growth of the airline with the support of all.

Arriving Travel Agents and Writers

In addition to Ms. Banks, the members of the Access Committee are John Benjamin, Chairman of the Tourist Board, Gina Brooks, Product Director at the Tourist Board, Gilda Samuel of the Hotel and Tourism Office and Stephane Zaharia, General Manager of CuisinArt Resort & Spa.

Waiting Government, Tourism and Hotel Officials

Jim Ruggia, Executive Director of Home and Vacation Agent Magazine, speaking on behalf of the travel agents and writers said: “We had a wonderful transfer from the [San Juan] airport and we were honoured to be selected to be on this flight. We think it is the beginning of some very strong days for Anguilla because it represents independence and creating your own connectivity to Puerto Rico and to bringing people into Anguilla. We all have been watching Anguilla going through these economic times, protecting its small and bigger hotels…and if I were living in Anguilla I would be very happy with the job that the Tourist Office and the Government are doing.”

Mr. Ruggia added: “The flight was very convenient to come into the airport. Usually when you fly to a Caribbean island there is a huge ordeal…and so to be on such a small flight, it was so easy to just move from the airplane right into [the terminal] without all that long line of passengers. I think it is going to be a great success.” The other agents and writers on the flight, all of whom, were weekend guests at Sheriva Villas, were Robin and Martin Fox of Pisa Brother Travel Service, Jody Bear and Steven Bear of Bear & Bear Travel Service and Ruthanne Sutor-Terrero and Arthur Terrero of Travel Advisor.

Rose Hodge who owns Rainbow International along with her husband, Kirby, told The Anguillian that the transfer service provided by Anguilla Air Express in San Juan, was aimed at providing relief and assistance to passengers arriving from the US mainland and bound for Anguilla. That service, provided by three staff members, includes meeting and greeting them, handling their baggage and immigration documents and transferring them to the waiting flight to Anguilla which costs US$399 per person. There are five staff members at the counter at Wallblake Airport in Anguilla to handle the operations of the airline and the needs of its passengers.

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