By P. T. Freeman
The Commonwealth of Dominica isn't easy to reach from most parts of North America. Unless you book a red-eye flight into the Caribbean, or live near the east coast, you must overnight in Barbados, Antigua, St. Maarten or San Juan. Melville Hall, the main airport, and also tiny Canefield airport, close at evening civil twilight.
That's about to change, thanks to a recently completed upgrade to Melville Hall. Renovations included lengthening the runway, and installing landing lights, an instrument approach, along with other navigational facilities. The immigration/customs hall and departure lounge were also refurbished.
International air regulatory agencies have certified the renovations, and the carrier responsible for most flights into Melville Hill, LIAT, recently completed a successful landing at night. LIAT and other Caribbean carriers can now offer arrivals and departures to and from Dominica after nightfall. This ends the need for an overnight stay to reach Dominica from many parts of North America.
It's hard to overstate the importance of this development to the development of Dominica's eco-tourism industry, a major source of foreign exchange. Keep an eye on the coming few months for the schedule changes on LIAT: http://www.liatairline.com/.
U.S. and Canadian visitors to Dominica enter visa free on their respective passports. Visitors with Dominica passports—such as those who have acquired "economic citizenship" there—should present their Dominican passports upon entry.
(The Commonwealth of Dominica is one of a handful of countries that offer citizenship and passport in exchange for an economic contribution. It has the most affordable program, with total costs for a single applicant around US$100,000. The government of Dominica lists The Nestmann Group, Ltd. as an officially recognized consultant for economic citizenship in Dominica. For more information on how you can obtain economic citizenship in Dominica, contact info@nestmann.com.)
The Commonwealth of Dominica isn't easy to reach from most parts of North America. Unless you book a red-eye flight into the Caribbean, or live near the east coast, you must overnight in Barbados, Antigua, St. Maarten or San Juan. Melville Hall, the main airport, and also tiny Canefield airport, close at evening civil twilight.
That's about to change, thanks to a recently completed upgrade to Melville Hall. Renovations included lengthening the runway, and installing landing lights, an instrument approach, along with other navigational facilities. The immigration/customs hall and departure lounge were also refurbished.
International air regulatory agencies have certified the renovations, and the carrier responsible for most flights into Melville Hill, LIAT, recently completed a successful landing at night. LIAT and other Caribbean carriers can now offer arrivals and departures to and from Dominica after nightfall. This ends the need for an overnight stay to reach Dominica from many parts of North America.
It's hard to overstate the importance of this development to the development of Dominica's eco-tourism industry, a major source of foreign exchange. Keep an eye on the coming few months for the schedule changes on LIAT: http://www.liatairline.com/.
U.S. and Canadian visitors to Dominica enter visa free on their respective passports. Visitors with Dominica passports—such as those who have acquired "economic citizenship" there—should present their Dominican passports upon entry.
(The Commonwealth of Dominica is one of a handful of countries that offer citizenship and passport in exchange for an economic contribution. It has the most affordable program, with total costs for a single applicant around US$100,000. The government of Dominica lists The Nestmann Group, Ltd. as an officially recognized consultant for economic citizenship in Dominica. For more information on how you can obtain economic citizenship in Dominica, contact info@nestmann.com.)
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