Several Members of the First House of Assembly were present to witness the signing pictured left – right are: 4th District Representative Dr. the Honourable Vincent Scatliffe, Deputy Premier Honourable Dancia Penn Q.C., O.B.E., Managing Director of Halcrow Mr. William Millington, 5th District Representative Honourable Elvis Harrigan, Territorial-at-Large Representative Honourable Vernon Malone, 2nd District Representative Honourable J. Alvin Christopher, Territorial-at-Large Representatives Honourable Irene Penn-O’Neal and Honourable Keith Flax, and Halcrow Airport Engineer Mr. Chris Myers. Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal (left) and Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Julian Fraser, R.A., are seated. (Photo credit: Mr. Doron Hodge/GIS).

Government is confident that the United Kingdom-based Halcrow Group Limited will produce a safer and more modern airport on Virgin Gorda. Premier and Minister for Finance Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE, revealed his confidence while giving remarks during a formal contract signing ceremony outside the Vanterpool Administration Building in Valley, Virgin Gorda on Tuesday, June 17. The Premier signed the contract on behalf of Government, while Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Julian Fraser, R.A., signed as his witness. Managing Director for Halcrow Group Ltd. Mr. William Millington signed for the contractors.

“Government has placed its trust and confidence in Halcrow Group Ltd., and we believe they will produce,” the Premier told a large audience that witnessed the contract signing. The Premier further noted that Halcrow has successfully completed similar airport projects on other Caribbean islands, including Montserrat and the Commonwealth of Dominica .

“We look forward to having a modern airport and I know that Mr. Millington will ensure the environment is protected because I do not look forward to any bending of the rules when it comes to anything that will disrupt the natural environment,” he said.

The Premier noted, among other things, that the new airport will be constructed according to international standards and will have the capacity to accommodate 19-seater aircraft.

The Managing Director of Halcrow offered the assurance that his company is extremely capable of planning and designing the new airport. Mr. Millington said he brings more than 32 years of experience in the airport sector to this project, along with the fact that his company has successfully undertaken several hundred similar projects around the world.

“Very importantly we have a good track record here in the Caribbean . We completed the project on Montserrat after the volcanic devastation some 10 years ago; we have undertaken work in the extension of the runway in Nevis; and our first project was the construction of the runway on Canouan Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, so we are very familiar with the requirements and the very special circumstances from the regulatory point of view which relate to small island airstrips,” he said.

Mr. Millington stressed that safety will be of paramount importance in the design and construction of the new Virgin Gorda airport. “Our objective is to improve safety and accessibility when looking at the overall framework for this project,” he told the audience.  

Tuesday’s contract signing ceremony was chaired by Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Mrs. Rosalie Adams, and included remarks by the BVI Airports Authority Duty Manager at the Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport Mr. Coy Levons.

The airstrip on Virgin Gorda was built between 1963 and 1964 by the owners of Little Dix Bay Hotel who owned and operated the facility as a private entity up until the late 1990s when Government entered negotiations to purchase the airport. It was later transferred under the management of the BVI Airports Authority. Halcrow Group Ltd. was first engaged by Government between 1999 and 2003 to conduct a feasibility study for improving the aerodrome. The Virgin Gorda Airport is one of four in the Territory; the others are located at North Sound, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and on Beef Island .

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