Panton Questions Ambergris Caye Airport Push Amid Tourism Struggles

Should Belize invest in another airport while established tourism destinations are still struggling for reliable air service and long-term development? Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is raising that wider question as concerns grow at opposite ends of the country. Maya Island Air has resumed service to Punta Gorda after Tropic Air pulled out of the route because of financial losses. But local tourism stakeholders say restoring flights is only a temporary fix. They want the government to create a comprehensive plan for Punta Gorda’s tourism industry. Panton supports that demand and says she will soon meet with local airline operators in San Pedro to discuss the proposed airport in northern Ambergris Caye, a project that tourism stakeholders say should not move forward without meaningful consultation and careful planning.

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“So we all know that air service or transportation services are the lifeline to any destination and don’t you find it curious, as much as we would like to see new flights coming into Belize, that the Belize Tourism Board is prepared to offer a revenue guarantee to a European based carrier to the tune of two million U.S. dollars a year, but we are not prepared to work with our local airline industry to ensure they have access to the tourism growth. We hear it is going to be a bumper season. I have a meeting scheduled with the local air industry scheduled in San Pedro this week to hear directly from them and to better be able to understand their concerns. Where the airport is now located is central not only to the northern end of San Pedro but also to the southern end of San Pedro and one of the main concern is that the local airline industry, the persons who have been operating at this particular airstrip have not been sufficiently included in the discussions, have not been sufficiently consulted, have not been sufficiently given clear projections as to what this move means for the viability of their local operations.”

 

In related news, the Belize Tourism Industry Association says it will continue gathering feedback and pressing the government for clear answers on the proposed northside airport. Stakeholders insist San Pedro’s urgent infrastructure and public-service problems must come first. They say any major development should reflect careful planning, meaningful consultation and the island’s long-term interests.

 

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.

 

Watch the full newscast here: