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SKN
Observer
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| Another Media Shut
Out |
| By Sheena Brooks |
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British
Airways inaugural flight
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Members of the independent
media core were barred from covering the arrival of
the second British Airways inaugural flight from the
United Kingdom on Tuesday.
Several members of the local press arrived at the RLB
Airport in anticipation of being allowed to cover the
significant national event but were told at the Arrivals
Gate that the media was not invited and a photo would
be issued. A similar instance took place at the March
10 opening of National Assembly at the Government Headquarters.
The British Airways flight touched down at approximately
3:35 pm and about 80 passengers disembarked. Just how
many were stay over passengers were for St. Kitts was
not immediately known as the flight had connected through
Antigua prior to arriving in St. Kitts. The Observer
was reliably informed that some 43 persons boarded the
flight back to London.
Journalists were forced to observe the flight arrive
through the glass panes of the airport's general waiting
lounge, however, personnel from the government controlled
TV station ZIZ, St. Kitts Nevis Information System,
Communications Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister,
and a government consultant were allowed onto the runway
to film and photograph the event. A Tourism entourage
including Minister of Tourism and International Trade
Hon. Richard Skerritt and Communications Manager for
the Tourism Authority Saju Ng'alla congregated on the
runway for an interview presumably with British Airways
officials or staff.
The Observer placed calls to Minister Skerritt's
cellular phone later that day however all went unanswered.
Prior to the March 30 inaugural second flight per week
into St. Kitts from London- Gatwick, Skerritt had said,
"This flight is an important symbol of hope for
our Tourism arrivals at a challenging time for Caribbean
tourism and at a financially awkward time for international
airlift. The British Airways decision to operate a second
flight to St. Kitts from the UK not only symbolises
BA's confidence in the future of our destination, it
also highlights the promising results our partnership
with BA has been enjoying for the Saturday operation
which, in the first year alone, brought close to 10,000
visitors to our island."
British Airways began its weekly flight into St. Kitts
on January 10th 2009 and British Airways Head of Sales
for the UK and Ireland, Mr. Richard Tams, said then
he believed St Kitts and Nevis fitted the airline's
premium brand and predicted the route would "grow
in significance".
The airline will now operate two flights per week into
St. Kitts, on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
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