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Frequently Asked Questions

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    General Questions

    What is the IADC?

    • The IADC is a registered company formed by the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica to provide oversight of all aspects of the construction of the international airport.
    • We are Government’s Representative on technical matters during the execution of the Project
    • The IADC, its personnel and its duly authorised representatives, shall be at liberty to at all reasonable times enter upon and conduct inspections of the Site, Plant, machinery and equipment, and/or any other element of the Project; request and receive information from MMCE and/or its representatives; and otherwise reasonably engage in activities in relation to the Project; as directed and/or approved by the Government.
    • We are authorised to carry out all functions necessary to enable us to properly and effectively provide oversight of the Project for the Government.
    • We are not intended to, and do not, in any way whatsoever relieve the developer of its responsibilities for the Project. Oversight is intended to ensure that the quality of works delivered is in keeping with the agreement & expectations of the GoCD; the quantity of works done are certified and align with payments to be made; the developer is in full compliance with all aspects of the agreement
    • IADC is expected to engage reputable experienced consultants to augment our ability to fully provide oversight to the Project on behalf of the Government.

    Why does Dominica need a new International Airport?

    • Dominica needs a new airport to be able to fully realize our economic growth potential. A vibrant tourism industry as well as improved ability and ease to transact international business are key pillars to realizing this transformative growth. Direct and convenient access to centers of business is critical in this endeavor.
    • Several investments have already been made to significantly upgrade the quality and quantity of world class hotel rooms on islands. This includes well known international hotel brands like, Kempinski, Marriott and Hilton as well as our home-grown brands like Jungle bay, Secret Bay, Rosalie Bay that have received international acclaim.
    • While, several enhancements have been made to the existing airport to facilitate same day connections and overall safety of the airport, to be able to fully engage with airlines in key source markets around the world, we need to ensure that there are as few operational encumbrances as possible when operating in Dominica. This means that the airport should be able to, reliably and safely, receive aircraft travelling to this destination at least 95% of the time. The current runway

    Can't the existing Douglas Charles Airport be expanded instead?

    • Several enhancements and improvements have been made to the Douglas Charles airport, however it was concluded, after several studies commissioned by the government, that no additional improvements could be made to the Douglas Charles airport to enable the level of air service required.
    • These improvements have served us well and placed us in a position where direct flights with regional jets can be operated safely from airports on the east coast of North America. While these developments will make it easier to get to Dominica from select parts of North America, access from other airports in Europe and further are constrained and additional enhancements to the existing airport will not make a material difference.

    With American Airlines providing direct flights to Douglas Charles, is the new airport still needed?

    • The current AA flight will initially operate twice weekly flights from Miami, Fl direct to Dominica with Embraer E175 aircraft.
    • These planes feature a total of 76 seats, including 12 first class seats, 20 extra legroom economy seats, and 44 economy seats.
    • Due to the operational constraints of the existing airport, regional jets like these are the largest aircraft that can operate scheduled passenger service into Douglas-Charles.
    • These aircraft will not be able to provide direct flights from key source markets in Europe or further.

    How much debt will the people and Government of Dominica incur because of this project?

    • This project is being financed through a combination of public sector and private foreign direct investment mechanisms with no incremental debt burden placed on the citizens of Dominica

    How are we paying for this Airport?

    • Due to our relatively small size of Dominica’s economy, the financing of such a project of this magnitude is a significant undertaking; it requires careful planning/timing and execution.
    • The Government of Dominica has explored and continues to explore several financing options to ensure there is minimal impact to the debt of the state.
    • Due to the confidence and relative stability of our investment climate we have seen success in our foreign direct investment programs
    • This project is therefore being financed through a combination of public sector and private foreign direct investment through the CBI program.

    What benefits do we expect from this new airport?

    • We anticipate that this project will have a major stimulative effect on the overall economy; this has already started and is expected to continue
    • The construction industry will see a significant boost. There is currently a lot of new construction associated with the relocation of property owners in the impacted area. During the site preparation works for the clearing of the site.
    • We will also see a significant upskilling of our technicians to perform the various tests required.
    • In the actual construction phase, there will be several direct construction jobs and indirect jobs related to the support services required.
    • The tourism industry will also be positively impacted by making it easier travel for visitors coming to the island. The major chains will be able to tap into their customer base more easily for both vacation and conference related travel.
    • Due to the ability to accommodate larger aircraft, we anticipate more exports of perishable cargo that couldn’t be shipped before.
    • The overall business climate will also be positively impacted.

    How big will this Airport be?

    • The airport will occupy a site of over 500acres, this will contain all aspects of the airport with sufficient space to meet long term expansion requirements as additional visitors and services are added.
    • Due to Dominica’s rugged terrain, a lot of earthworks will be involved to develop a platform that can meet current and future needs.
    • The terminal is being designed to handle a peak hour passenger flow of 565 which would include a mix of direct international passengers from North America, Europe and beyond as well as regional passengers visiting from neighboring islands or in-transit passengers connecting to other islands.

    Why was the Wesley/Woodford hill site selected?

    • Cabinet, by decision 1079 of 2008, appointed a thirteen-member airport development committee to review all airport studies undertaken by foreign consulting firms with a view to recommend the best technically feasible option for the construction of an international airport in Dominica.
    • Over twelve (12) potential airport sites were investigated for the potential construction of an international airport in the following areas:
    • La Plaine
    • Douglas Bay
    • Cabrits
    • Pointe Ronde
    • Grand Savanne
    • Canefield
    • Warner
    • Braintridge
    • Melville Hall
    • Crompton Point
    • Eden Estate

     

    • And various alignment scenarios in the Wesley/Woodford Hill regional including the Planning & Stanley and three alignment scenarios with Landrum & Brown
    • Based upon the analysis and evaluation of the various airport studies the Committee was of the opinion that the Woodford Hill Site, as recommended by Sir Alexander Gibbs and Partners Report of 1998, was the best technically feasible option for the development of an international airport.
    • In 2017, government engaged a reputable international firm, Landrum and Brown, to advise the Government on the most suitable site for the Airport based on their independent and unfettered investigations, using extremely detailed terrain maps to conduct scenario analysis of not just the site but also several different alignment options to arrive at the optimal alignment and site.
    • Each assessment took into consideration 5 key criteria:
    • Obstructions: Straight Precision landing vs. curved visual landing
    • Earthworks: Minimize the amount of cut and fill required
    • Wind: 95% useability
    • Social Impact: Minimize negative disruption in the vicinity of the site
    • Overall Costs: largely driven by the amount of cut & fill required
    • The current site and alignment is a culmination of all this work.

    Who is involved in the development of the new Airport?

    • Several governmental and private entities are included in the development of the airport.
    • Property owners in the Wesley/Woodfordhill
    • The Cabinet of ministers and Airport Ministerial sub-Committee
    • The office of the Prime Minister and Airport Secretariat
    • MMCE as the developers
    • IADC and its Board of Directors provides oversight
    • Contractors & sub-contractors
    • Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority

    How many jobs do we expect to be created from this project?

    What size aircraft will be able to safely operate in the new airport

    • Several different aircraft and routes were analyzed based on existing traffic in Dominica and neighboring islands
    • For North American routes; Boeing 737 series and Airbus 320 series
    • For European routes and beyond; Boeing 777 series and Airbus 330/340/350

    Who will own the Airport when it is finished?

    How long will it take to construct this new airport?

    What will the new airport have that the current one does not?

    How many Gates and airlines will it be able to accommodate

    • The new airport is expected to effortlessly handle both large international and regional traffic while providing world class services
    • There will be 4 jet bridges for the large aircraft and covered walkways and in-transit services for the smaller regional aircraft
    • The master plan makes allowance for growth based on key planning activity levels; at PAL 1 we will have parking positions for up to 8 aircraft; at PAL 3 we will have up to 11 parking positions
    • Route development is seen as a critical component of this development process as a result, there is and will be ongoing communication with all stakeholders, including target airlines as the airport is being developed
    • We have been in active discussions with the airlines to leverage available aircraft technology to start the building & growth of new direct routes to the existing airport. E.g. American Airlines directly to Miami and Caribbean Airlines direct to Port-of Spain Trinidad