The historic first direct flight between Antigua and West Africa is now less than a week away, with the country gearing up to observe the milestone on the day of its Independence – November 1.
Despite some scepticism surrounding the initiative, the inaugural flight of Antigua Airways – a partnership between the government and Nigerian-based printing firm, Marvelous Mike Press Limited – is scheduled to touch down at the VC Bird International Airport next Tuesday morning.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed the news while addressing Barbuda MP, Trevor Walker, in Parliament on Monday.
“The information that we have had to date is that they are still on target to make their inaugural flight on November 1st at 8:30am, arriving perhaps during the period of the Independence celebrations,” Browne said.
It is unclear at this point how many passengers are expected to be on board the flight, which is set to depart Lagos on October 31, before returning to the motherland on November 6.
The new airline has been touted by the government as a major investment coup for Antigua and Barbuda, with the direct link to West Africa having the potential for significant economic benefit.
The carrier is also set to play a role in boosting regional connectivity, through a yet-to-be-finalised partnership with LIAT 2020.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) is planning a celebration for the historic flight which will see the Tourism Minister Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez welcome the passengers to the twin island nation.
While Marvelous Mike is financing the airline’s operations, Antigua and Barbuda is tipped to receive 20 percent of the profits.
Opposition politicians are among those who have expressed scepticism about the new airline, with some raising questions over the status of the company behind it. Observer has been unable to reach the firm which is apparently based in Abuja.
The airline was previously slated to offer three weekly connections from Saint John’s to Lagos, Accra in Ghana and Toronto, Canada. The company is said to have a single Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, which has 16 business class and 251 economy class seats.