The Caribbean island of Dominica is aiming to complete its planned international airport in 2026, according to Roosevelt Skerrit, the country’s prime minister.
According to WIC News, Skerrit made the announcement during a recent budget presentation. He said more than 20 airlines from the Caribbean, Europe and North America would use the facility.
The airport will be built at the village of Wesley on the northeast coast of the island. At present, most visitors use the nearby Douglas-Charles (pictured), a facility with only three gates and an annual throughput of around 60,000 people.
The $1bn facility, first announced in 2020, will be the largest construction project in Dominica’s history, and will be large enough to accept long haul commercial flights from around the world. A video explaining the scheme can be seen here.
Skerrit said China Railway No 5 Engineering Group had been chosen as the main contractor, and that preconstruction work had already begun in the Wesley and Woodford Hill area. Montreal Management Consultants Establishment is acting as main consultant.
At present, geotechnical studies are being carried out, and a favourable social and environmental impact assessment has been concluded. So far, some $24m has been paid to 130 property owners who had to relocate to make room for the facility.
Dominica is located in the Lesser Antilles island group between Guadeloupe and Martinique. The area is 750 square kilometres and it has an estimated population of 73,000.
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