Tropic Air Boss Says Basil Jones Airport Project Will "Never Happen"

And the busiest route for Tropic and Maya Island is from PGIA to San Pedro. But, if the Basil Jones Airport project on northern Ambergris Caye does go through - would it cut off the main source of revenue for Belize's local airlines? We got input from both sides:...

Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"If a Basil Jones International Airport is built, then all of this goes to nothing because COPA could fly directly into the International Airport there. I am saying that, how do you all manage these competing interests, when clearly an international airport at Basil Jones would work against Tropic and Maya?"

Hon. Manuel Heredia Junior- Minister of Tourism
"Definitely not Jules, under the present agreement with PGIA, any existing airline that is flying cannot divert to any other airport in Belize. This airport that we are doing is to one, have European charters coming in to Belize, to have private aircraft and then later on we will see if there are possibilities of new destinations. Lufthansa, as soon as they heard about the possibilities of building an airport, have approached this company already you know. They want to know a little more and have this interest of flying in. So, that opens the door to other carriers. What we want is that if we are doing almost 400 thousand, within the next five years we want to double that amount."

Jules Vasquez
"What happens if indeed as is planned, they open an international airport up north in the Basil Jones area? Copa can just say, well we will just fly directly to San Pedro, who needs Tropic Air?"

John Greif III
"Jules I just don't see that happening. To me and I hope no one gets offended, it seems like a pipeline drain that just…who is going to raise $100 million US for a service that really isn't needed anyway? I mean, it is so easy because of the incredible competition you have between Maya and Tropic to get to anywhere in Belize now. Why would Copa do that? So, I don't see it happening, ever."

Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with International Airport Alliance, but Heredia says they have to get clearance from the DOE and submit their plans to government for approval before there is any, quote, "definitive agreement."

Sans San Pedro To PGIA Route, Air Infrastructure Network Would Collapse

The other issue with the proposal for a new international airport on Northern Ambergris Caye is that it could severely cut into one of the main routes for local carriers. This, in turn, could undermine the entire domestic air transport infrastructure. If it sounds a bit highfalutin, Grief broke it down into dollars and sense:...

John Greif III, President Tropic Air
"The only two truly profitable airplane routes in Belize are Goldson to Placencia and Goldson to San Pedro. And Goldson to San Pedro is three or four times the volume of Placencia. Placencia adds a little more because it's a little more expensive per mile. But without those lengths, there is no more San Pedro to Corozal, there is no more Belize Municipal to PG, there is no more...any of the other domestic flights disappear. The backbone of Belizean aviation is essentially San Pedro to International. If that goes, so goes the industry."

Channel 7

Another Airport on Ambergris Caye?

On Thursday, the Diario de Quintana Roo in Chetumal quoted the Honorary Consulate of Belize in Quintana Roo, saying that the construction of the international airport in San Pedro has been given the green light and all that is left, is a date for works to begin. That piece of information, says the Mexican newspaper, came from Luis Maldonado, the honorary consul. So while there is a new agreement between COPA Airlines and Tropic Air, is there competing interest on the part of government in supporting this partnership? G.O.B., it is known, has also shown support for the Basil Jones International Airport in north San Pedro. So essentially, if the multimillion-dollar project is to go ahead, the new agreement with the local airline becomes moot.  Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manuel Heredia Junior says not so fast.

Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism

"Under the present agreement with P.G.I.A., any existing airline that is flying, you cannot divert to any other airport in Belize; otherwise, we will be liable and can be taken to court. This airport that we are doing is to one, to have European charters coming to Belize, to have private aircrafts and then later on we will see if there is the possibilities of new destinations coming to Belize. I think you've heard with the previous administration that Lufthansa should have been the ones running this airport. Lufthansa, as soon as they heard about the possibilities of building an airport, has approached this company already, you know. That they want to know a little more and they have that interest to flying there. So that opens the door to other carriers; that is our interest to see new carriers. What we want is if we are doing almost four hundred thousand, within the next five years, we want to double that amount. And that can only happen if there is an alternative airport that can bring additional carriers to this airport-not taking away anything from Tropic or Maya nor from the P.G.I.A.; and legally, we cannot do it."

Channel 5