The Sister Islands Tourism Association has launched a petition seeking Governor Jane Owen’s intervention to save Little Cayman’s Edward Bodden Airfield from being moved and reject having a new airport built.
It comes as the Civil Aviation Authority Cayman Islands (CAACI) mulls the future of the existing airfield, which over the last 20 years has been used by Cayman Airways to facilitate flights using an ‘exemption of airworthiness’.
That exemption, which has been granted by the Aviation Authority over the years, would have expired this month.
However it has been temporarily extended to the end of September, the Cayman Compass understands.
The Compass has been told that the Aviation Authority is insisting it cannot continue to issue exemptions, and that the airfield must comply with international safety regulations, which includes construction of a new airport and runway.
The Governor’s Office, in a statement to the Compass on Sunday, suggested there were options on the table, including upgrading the airfield at the current site.
The statement read, “The airport needs to be upgraded in order to continue to be able to operate planes in and out.
“The choice is either to improve the airport on the current location or build a new one elsewhere.
“The Government will need to take a decision on which option to pursue based on data and information (of which we already have a lot), then Cayman Islands Government will need to begin the planning process. This will be a decision for the Cabinet to make,” the statement said.
The Governor’s Office said the exemption of worthiness has been ongoing for many years.
“The CAA needs to see progress to make this happen, otherwise there is a risk that the exemption may be withdrawn. The Governor is responsible for the safety of flights via the CAA. Cayman Islands government is responsible for budget, aviation, tourism, planning, etc. So this is a partnership,” it said.
Ready to fight
Peter Quilliam, president of the Sister Islands Tourism Association and organiser of the petition, said there are options available that can preserve the uniqueness of the island’s airfield.
“There is a lot of background work still needed to be done and something like this involves many, many moving pieces, however in order for us to be taken seriously, our first step will be to present this petition at the highest levels and show that the people of Little Cayman are ready to fight to keep Little Cayman the gem that it is for generations to come,” Quilliam said.
He said residents oppose any plan to move the airfield.
“Based on rigorous research, and speaking to a number of people in very well-informed positions, it came to light that we haven’t yet exhausted all avenues to keep the Little Cayman airport where it is,” he told the Compass Saturday night, adding that this isn’t to say that there wouldn’t be some modifications and sacrifices to the existing operation.
“We are very confident that we can work with an independent consultant, land owners and CAACI to enable unrestricted operations in and out of Little Cayman,” Quilliam said.
The petition, which he said now has more than 90 signatures, states that residents and/or land owners in Little Cayman are opposed to the proposed closure and relocation of the Little Cayman airport and airstrip.
The petition calls on the governor to keep the current airport and airstrip and not move to a new location.
It is also asking that authorities engage an independent airport contractor to provide options that would satisfy the Civil Aviation Authority’s concerns to grant the current airport a more permanent status.
It is also asking that local residents and land owners be fully consulted on any future proposals.
The Compass had reached out to the Civil Aviation Authority for comment when the exemption of airworthiness deadline was drawing near for an update on the plans ahead.
However, repeated emails went unanswered, and attempts to speak with officials on the matter did not materialise, though commitments were made that those involved would reach out.
The Compass also reached out to both Cayman Island Airports Authority chairman of the board Johann Moxam and CEO Albert Anderson; however they declined to comment.
When reached for comment separately, both said they could not speak to the issue, as they do not have the regulatory responsibility for the airfield, nor for the proposed airport plans for Little Cayman.
Edward Bodden Airfield formed part of the Airports Authority’s master plan launched last year. Though, government indicated it will not be progressing the Little Cayman aspect of the plan.
Cayman Airways operates the airfield through its Express Service.
Fabian Whorms, Cayman Airways president and CEO, said he could not comment on the situation as discussions are ongoing.
“The issue of whether to upgrade the current aerodrome, or build a new one, or continue with the current aerodrome using a different type of aircraft that is designed with no more than nine seats, is a decision for the Cayman Islands Government,” he said, adding that it would not be proper for the airline to speak further on the issue.
The Compass understands that CAACI’s position, which was communicated in a recent meeting, is that the airfield in its current state is not certified for aircraft with a seating capacity of more than nine seats.
The SITA president said that any drop in passenger seating would have a negative impact on businesses for the smaller of the Sister Islands.
Changes may include fewer seats
Quilliam said he understands that some of the options open to the Aviation Authority include reducing seat numbers, or stopping flights altogether. He said, “SITA would hope to avoid either of those options.”
He believes a solution can be found, as similar airports in the Caribbean are “governed by the UK overseas territories and CAACI have been granted exemptions. So there is precedence set there already.”
The petition states that the organisers were informed that the Little Cayman airport and airstrip cannot continue to be used in its current condition; and building a new airport and airstrip in another location is the only way forward.
“This is not a binary choice and we respectfully request that all efforts be made to facilitate the airport and airstrip remaining in its current location. It is our opinion that this is the wish of the vast majority of residents and land owners as well as being an integral part of the identity and character of Little Cayman,” the petition contends.
Several years ago, a site for a new airport had been previously identified on government-owned land on Little Cayman, just over a mile northeast of the existing aerodrome, and some ground clearing was carried out at the time.
However, no further work progressed.
Currently, Little Cayman’s ‘terminal’ consists on a single-storey building, with a check-in desk and a waiting room, and a dedicated garage next door that houses a fire engine.
Planes that land on the 3,275-foot-long and 35-foot-wide runway must cross a road to access the airport building.
The petition contends that the current airport has operated with the exemption for many years “without serious incident and has an excellent safety record”.
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I am a land owner on Little Cayman, myself and many other land owners want to see the new airport built.
There are several hundred if not thousands of land owners on Little Cayman. A petition with 90 people hardly represents a majority.
I urge government to listen to all of us, not just the vocal anti-growth minority.
We want to be able to safely visit the island, have our friends and family come too. We recently had to cancel our flight because the one firetruck on the island wouldn’t start.
In the current situation, it is just a matter of time before something bad happens