Land acquired for the first International Airport in Dominica.

The Government of Dominica has acquired over 400 acres for the first International Airport in the country. The land was acquired, according to the Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit through the US$5 million that the Government saved every month from its popular Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme for the last few years to fund the project. According to the Prime Minister, around 411 acres has now been acquired with rapid progress already being made. This includes making several payments to landowners, finalising designs and technical studies. Once completed, the international airport will be Dominica’s first and will improve air access in the country.

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This aligns with the recent news that Caribbean Airlines launched a new flight between Dominica and Barbados which will gradually increase to four times weekly. Dominica reopened its borders to international visitors two months after closing them off due to the global pandemic. Prime Minister Skerrit also revealed that his administration is proposing the introduction of a national company to oversee the airport’s construction: “The International Airport for Dominica Development Company will have a shelf life for the duration of the construction of the airport. It will have a board comprising of 16 members that would cover a wide section of the society so that we have broad-based participation and involvement in the process.”

Dominica’s CBI Programme has been key to funding several development projects on the island from housing to education. The Programme, established in 1993, enables foreign investors and their families to secure the country’ citizenship once either donating to the government fund or buying into selected real estate options. Applicants must undergo a robust due diligence process that follows a multi-tiered approach to ensure the reputation of the Programme remains intact. Those who are successful then gain citizenship along with a wide range of benefits that include increased travel freedom to approximately 140 destinations and the chance to pass down citizenship for generations to come.