Government Commits $2 Million to Secure European Flight

Bringing Belize’s first direct flight from continental Europe comes at a cost. Government is committing two million dollars in guarantees and marketing support to secure the new route. But tourism officials argue that, in today’s competitive aviation industry, destinations must invest to attract new airlines. Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler says the payoff will reach beyond tourism, generating millions in economic activity and giving Belizean exporters a direct gateway to European markets.

 

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“You have commerce. Now our products going into Europe can go direct. And so the opportunities are great. So our seafood or citrus, whatever it is that we export to the EU markets will now be more efficient and better quality by the time they reach over there.”

 

Shane Williams

“Now speak to us about the guarantee that Belize has to put up for these type of arrangements.”

 

Anthony Mahler

“Now that’s many years ago when I was at the BTB, that wasn’t a mandatory thing, right? Certain airlines wanted it. We negotiated and we mainly focused on marketing support. But now coming out of COVID, that’s a must. Many destinations have done that so that they can compete, that they can get their routes back quickly. We have to do the same. And so it’s about two million dollars. But one-point-two in upfront in terms of guarantees and then eight hundred thousand in marketing support. So it’s not fully to guarantee the flight, but marketing, which we would have to invest in anyhow.”

 

Shane Williams

And the economic generation that the flight-

 

Anthony Mahler

“We estimate somewhere between six and ten million dollars.”

 

The first flight from Frankfurt to Belize is scheduled for December 16, 2027 and the service will continue until April 2028.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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