Comments on: Minister: UK Offers Support For Airspace Initiative

By: Yes I

Yes I — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 18:35:04 +0000

Bermuda has always been the playground for hustlers selling their ideas to the less informed. How will the Bermudian children benefit from this initiative, because I just don’t see how the revenue will be worth the investment.

By: Yes2

Yes2 — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 14:53:10 +0000

The only winners are the shareholders of Boeing-Jeppesen.

By: Yes2

Yes2 — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 14:46:05 +0000

Not strictly correct. The shortest distance between two points on a sphere is a great circle.

By: Raymond Ray

Raymond Ray — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 14:45:39 +0000

Why is it we see flights from England flying over / near us daily to other Islands in the Caribbean yet refusing to stop here as was done for countless years in the past?
B.A. flew to Bermuda then onto Nassau, Jamaica ending in Panama why has this discontinued? This I would believe will help Bermuda as well as other islands to our south…

By: Riptide

Riptide — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 05:35:38 +0000

This is madness. There is no possible way this can be justified in any reasonable cost-benefit analysis. New York center provides approach control service for Bermuda free of charge. Why would we want to change that? How many thousands have been spent on this Boeing study and how many millions are proposed being spent for how many jobs? So more ticket taxes making it even more expensive to fly to Bermuda. Who is proposing this lunacy? Does anyone involved have a vested interest in the outcome?

By: Charles Dean

Charles Dean — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 03:03:22 +0000

What other air route would the planes fly through? Is there a new land mass close to Bermuda that I don’t know about? Air routes are designed around navigation points and the last I checked we were the only point in the North Atlantic. Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Straight lines = less fuel = less cost for airlines. Less fuel costs are the driving force for airlines!

By: On de Hill

On de Hill — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 21:26:38 +0000

Terry, you need to have a better memory. This initiative was started under the PLP Government and it featured in a PLP Thrown Speech when Burt was junior Finance Mnister. Just shows your ignorance!

By: Longtail

Longtail — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 18:48:15 +0000

To provide this service Bermuda needs a 24/7 airfield, not one that closes down once the BA flight departs each night. The Airport Fire Service and other support facilities have moved to provide this necessary 24/7 cover…. this cost will be more than offset by the additional revenues received from aircraft passing through our air space.

By: Longtail

Longtail — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 18:42:54 +0000

Mixitup – your second paragraph is what it is all about…. at least someone understands!!!!

By: John Males

John Males — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:43:28 +0000

As a Brit with Bermudian relatives I would dearly love to travel to the island less expensively than is possible with BA. If there’s a cheaper way, via Amsterdam or Paris, and a second transfer, I want to know about it. Every time I’ve investigated coming via New York or Toronto there’s hardly a penny in it either way. I’ve always wondered if there was collusion somewhere.

By: mixitup

mixitup — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 14:57:23 +0000

Bermuda is not a poor location, if anything we have the best location. It’s an Airstip in the middle of a heavily traveled oceanic corridor. MIA-Europe, Northeast USA to Caribbean & South America. FAA Rules require 2 Engine Aircraft to be within a certain distance to land, so certain TransAtlantic flights will always hug close to BDA.

By: mixitup

mixitup — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 14:50:24 +0000

If Bermuda charges flights for simply flying through our airspace, planes will simply change course to avoid Bermuda and fly in cost free airspace.

The Airlines have to fly through someones airspace, due to the need to be within 2 hours of a landing stip. So most MIA, MEX, to Europe and Northeast to Caribbean/ South America will likely use BDA Airspace.

By: Cottereaux

Cottereaux — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 13:50:21 +0000

I don’t understand this one. What exactly are the “revenues” and the costs? Does this mean costs for flights landing in Bermuda will increase? Said increase to be passed onto tourists in the form of increased ticket prices making a trip to Bermuda more expensive?

If Bermuda charges flights for simply flying through our airspace, planes will simply change course to avoid Bermuda and fly in cost free airspace.

Has any plane to Bermuda ever missed finding Bermuda?

By: Bermudian.

Bermudian. — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 13:06:02 +0000

Home work, home work, second not First.Chad tops the list. Just saying.

By: oleander

oleander — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 05:12:11 +0000

Trudy trees, this has got nothing to do with BA and route licences. It’s all about air traffic services. And if NY is providing the service now for free, why change it? How many million will it cost for how many jobs?

By: Yes2

Yes2 — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 04:04:44 +0000

The high fares charged by BA are not of their making. The reason they are so high is because of the UK’s policy of having the highest Airport Departure Tax in the world. Smart travelers now make a short flight out of UK to connect to their long haul flights as the tax is based on distance travelled. Amsterdam has a minimal departure tax and so does France and Eire. I know it can be tedious to have several sectors, but it saves money.
As to the airspace project, I wonder how much we have had to pay Boeing so far for them to tell us that it is a good idea to embrace something which we get for free at the moment. The only benefit is a few jobs several years down de road, as it takes many years to select, train and certify Controllers for approach control functions. In the interim, we will have to employ competent non-Bermudian controllers. If that is a good enough reason, so be it. All the other benefits are achievable without taking control of the enhanced airspace.

By: Build a Better Bermuda

Build a Better Bermuda — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 03:43:56 +0000

Who do we send up now??

By: Build a Better Bermuda

Build a Better Bermuda — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 03:42:40 +0000

It is technically our airspace, much like our allocations of satellite space that we have currently leased. The revenues would come to Bermuda. It will take quite a bit of technical training for airspace management for staffing, so you can expect a high upfront cost, it will also require attention to equipment upkeep and upgrading, but it has the potential to be an excellent source of revenue once up and running

By: somuchless

somuchless — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 23:54:09 +0000

Lol @ Doubtful

By: Trudy Trees

Trudy Trees — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 23:10:38 +0000

Do you think the OBA or any government for that matter will allow another airline to travel to Bermuda from the UK. The monopoly that BA has has gone on long enough. It’s ridiculously expensive to fly direct to London from here!

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 21:31:23 +0000

Good point ‘Yes I’.

Remember that we are not an independent nation.

Rule Britania.

Sucks eh?

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 21:28:53 +0000

Whoo yoo gunna send up to protect the air space.

Bermuda Ariel Media…………..pun)

By: Yes I

Yes I — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 20:10:00 +0000

Good initiative, poor location. Airlines will just circumnavigate the island’s airspace to avoid paying fees. The actual airspace that we have sovereign rights over is not as large as many people know. Unless New York is to give us control of the Oceanic control then this exercise may prove more costly than beneficial.

By: Warwick Lizard

Warwick Lizard — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 17:42:33 +0000

Jobs is good but how many jobs and how much will this cost? What’s wrong with the present arrangements? Will it mean more fees and ticket taxes? Who’s gonna pay?

By: Smh

Smh — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 17:11:24 +0000

Finally! This is good news. As a modern and advanced nation it’s time we take control of our own borders and airspace.

By: Navin Johnson

Navin Johnson — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 17:00:46 +0000

Mr Burt should be thrilled with this one as he said we should separate from the UK so we could take care of our airspace and charge more…..also Mr Bean has air traffic experience so it could be a job opportunity for him if he could pass the various tests…doubtful

By: 3rdeye

3rdeye — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 16:55:17 +0000

This actually sounds like a good initiative. The creation of jobs is an exciting prospect. My only question though is will this allow us to charge for airspace and, if so, would Britain or Bermuda benefit more from its revenue?

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 15:51:45 +0000

OH LORD!!!!

Um gonna need to buy more rum and tons of popcorn for this one.

Can’t wait for the wind to hit the ‘sails’.

Mr. Burt gonna have a filed day with one.

Verz dee money cumin from.

I need a double.