The Montserrat
government Wednesday announced that St Vincent and the Grenadines
Airline (SVG Air) would be increasing the number of flights to the
volcano-ravaged British overseas territory, after the Eastern Caribbean
Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) grounded Fly Montserrat following a
second incident within 10 days.
Premier Reuben Meade said
discussions would continue with SVG Air and another regional airline to
ensure that with the coming festival season, visitors are able to
travel to and from Montserrat.
He said the ferry would
serve as another reliable alternative for nationals and others planning
to go home for the annual festival celebrations. Montserrat will
celebrate its 50th cultural festival from December 14 to January 2.
"It's important to
reiterate that we are aware of the critical importance of residents and
visitors being able to travel when they need to. That is why we have
been pursuing relationships with other carriers to ensure that both our
air and sea access meet the needs of travellers," Meade said.
Montserrat is now soliciting bids for both ferry and air travel services to support the current transportation needs.
Nobody hurt
The ECCAA grounded Fly Montserrat on Tuesday after the plane skidded off the runway stopping metres before a cliff.
Seven people, including
the pilot, escaped injury after Flight 2109 forced the closure of the
John Osborne Airport after "going off the side of the runway".
On October 7, three
people including the pilot and Jamaican Annya Duncan were killed after a
Fly Montserrat plane crashed soon after taking off from the V.C. Bird
international airport in Antigua.
The ECCAA has written to
Fly Montserrat restricting it from flying into any ECCAA country, mainly
within the nine-member sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean
States.
On Monday, the airline's
owner, Nigel Harris sought to give the public an assurance regarding the
safety of the airline, saying it is properly regulated by British-based
regulators.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com
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