OPEN LETTER: To Prime Minister Gaston Browne

20
Makeda-Mikael

Dear Mr. P.M.

This letter is an appeal to you to put your money on your words when you speak of empowering your citizens especially the women. In particular I would like you to explain how could you tolerate an American company, and your management of ABAA using strong arm tactics and Government facilities to drive black people out of business on Runway 10?

How could your Government’s Ministry of Aviation permit ABAA to circumvent Rules and Regulations and use an Official NOTAM to broadcast to the world that the only company that can do business on Runway 10 is Signature, a white American company.

There are five Antiguan owned companies that do business on the Dis-Used Runway 10 earning from General Aviation requiring special services.

The NOTAM, which went out to the world on May 6, 2021, specifically states:

ALL PRIVATE AND NON-SCHEDULED OPERATORS OF CORPORATE AND PRIVATE AIRCRAFT REQUIRING HANDLING SERVICES MUST PROCEED TO THE DIS-USED RWY10 AND MUST MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SUPPLY OF SUCH SERVICES WITH A REGISTERED AND ESTABLISHED FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO) FACILITY AT DISUSED RWY10.
THE FOLLOWING LIST COMPRISES THE APPROVED FACILITY AT DISUSED RWY10:
(1) SIGNATURE FLIGHT SERVICES TEL (268) 562 4347 EMAIL
ANU(AT)SIGNATUREFLIGHT.COM
Aeronautical Information Services / Management
V.C. Bird Int’l Airport
St.Georges
Antigua.

I would like to think that this NOTAM had more to do with the global sale of Signature Aviation, which owns the Antigua operation and the FALSE advice suggesting that Antigua offers a monopoly to Signature Aviation thereby raising the economic profile.

If that is the case, I have great difficulty in accepting the sell out of the five Antiguan entrepreneurs in an effort to monetize a monopoly which clearly exists now by virtue of the NOTAM.

Antigua Airport Services Ltd. is the oldest Ground Handling Operator at VCBIA (53) followed closely by Ports Services Ltd. (31) Caribbean Airport Services (18) Dispatch Services Antigua (18) Bizjet-to-Yacht Antigua Inc. (16) and would all be barred from operating on Rwy10 and may even be forced to outsource their operations to the American owned entity.

This cannot be right! This NOTAM endorses a monopoly for the newest American Operator to takeover the business and and combined 136 years of service of five local Operators.
And, if the issuance of this NOTAM is a convenient mistake by ABAA and the Government of Antigua, it has done its work, which coincides with the Signature global aviation conglomerate sale for US $4.7 Billion.

Sir, Antigua is once more meddling internationally by under selling Antiguan entrepreneurial efforts, and giving the false impression that Antigua did not launch the first Full Service FBO in the Eastern Caribbean in 2002 whose assets were sold to Signature only seven years ago.

Finally Sir, putting my companies out of business does not guarantee the acquisition of the hangar and lands around a Runway 10 for private ownership.

Makeda Mikael

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

20 COMMENTS

  1. Antigua for Antiguans is a thing of the past.Drive,Sail, Walk,Swim, Fly, around Antigua.See what are the results of your findings.Keep up the good work Makeda.

  2. what does white and blacks have anything to do with this???? chuuuuuups, I dont understand people who like to fight fire with fire… if you want to see racism abolished well try not to be/sound racist when it convenes to you.

    Now this sounds like an issue that has been in Antigua FOREVER!! It is presented in the form of “capitalism” i.e. survival of the fittest in a competitive market…. but we all know that here, its who can pay the politicians more will win the contracts/immunities…the problem has existed here forever, and it seems to be a problem of the Antiguan working culture of bribery’s, lazyness at work, and looking out for your “friends”

  3. I hope Mrs. Mikael that you are fully forthcoming with the truth on this matter, since by your own admission you are not entirely divorced from the situation. It would therefore be of interest to myself and readers as to the genesis of this ‘white’ company and who exactly brought them to Antigua. My inquiring mind would like to know.

      • @ Sideline
        Is it because she is a black Antiguan that she is a fox. You said in one of your previous post that Black Antiguans do not control the economy. How can they when the present government undermines their efforts and sell out the country to the ones who will pay the bribes?

  4. There is nothing wrong with white or yellow investment but it must be fair and not take advantage of the local population’s efforts. Our governments have always been partial to the monied class which has been white and for the most part American, and we have encouraged their investments especially in Tourism and Aviation, but when see corruption of the system in favours of either white or yellow we must shoutout loud ‘UNFAIR!’ And let us face it RACE MATTERS!

    • It seems clear that most of the wealth – the vast majority – is held by non-black foreigners. Your best supermarkets, the best resorts, the overpriced housing – all owned by nonblack, non Antiguans or naturalized Antiguans.

      Meanwhile the Caribbean folks are subject to slave wages and second class status.

      It seems those those in high government allow and encourage this because they are rewarded through legal and illegal bribery schemes.

      Antigua is a small country with natural resources and business assets that could truly benefit the population but that’s not happening. It could be a truly beautiful place to live.

      • I guess Sun Sea and Sand can be considered Natural Resources. Unlike Oil, Gold, Silver, Lumber etc.

    • Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock!

      Who”s Zooming Who!

      “The Afrocentric paradigm is a revolutionary shift in thinking proposed as a constructural adjustment to black disorientation, dislocation, decenteredness and lack of agency.” Dr. Molefi Asante, Afrocentric ity: The Theory of Social Change!

      Was it “Entrepreneurial Socialism” or “Social Capitalism” when the Big Sale was made!

      “Afrocentricity answers this question by asserting the central role of the African subject within the context of the African history, thereby removing Europe from the center of the African reality. In this way, Afrocentricity becomes a revolutionary idea because it studies ideas, concepts, events, personalities, and political and economic processes from a standpoint of Black People as subjects and not as objects, basing all knowledge on the authentic interrogation of location!” – Asante!

      Clearly as Asante states, “Afrocentricity holds that all definitions are autobiographical.”

      Nuff Said!

  5. Umm Madam, FYI, Signature Aviation plc is a British company, not an American company. No need to bring up the color. It’s all about business rather than racist. I agree the gov of AB should face and explain your inquiry though.

  6. What you miss the monies you could’ve made
    Makeda correct me if I’m wrong didn’t you sell the business you started to same company your complaining about?
    Jamaican singer Buju said in one of his songs thief nah lub see thief with long bag.
    It wasn’t a problem when they had to pay you rent.
    I would love to see how much you paid for airport land, word on the street is some prime minister give you for nothing.
    Plus your just like the company yuh writing about, you came to this country and got your break.

    • She didn’t pay a dime. It was given to her by the receiver in some sinister deal.
      And then she tried selling it to Calvin Ayre for US$25 million but got rejected. And now they are enemies.

  7. Makeda go back to St. Kitts and retire you no good for dem aviation business. All you do is give hell to Robin, Abba, and Signature. Let them be. You sold your business cuz you didn’t know how to manage your money and now Dey make millions and millions

  8. Where are the masterminds who are responsible for the execution style murder of Nigel Christian? Did Nigel find out who “forged” the signature? Was it someone high in politics?

    Don’t forget the ADOMS scandal.

  9. Let me explain. I have no intention of behaving myself while there is a knee in my neck or for that matter on the neck of any of my ancestors children. We have not yet gotten an independent Justiciary as the Queen and her bunch are still in charge. Antigua me cum from cause when I was born nearly a century ago St. John’s, Antigua was and is my capital. Also I find it strange that everyone wants to badmind me because I want protection for Antiguans from any invasive investor who connive with our governments to put us out of business so they can continue to be in control. All those who are paid to keep the knee on our necks will ultimately be overcome by God’s grace as our ancestors endured and overcame their adversities. We will not transition peacefully from capitalism to corruptionism! We will fight!

  10. https://craneforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=252&t=11376
    people need to do some research to understand what this story is all about and who this one century old lady is. There is much more to say. But can you imaging fighting for right of access through Stanford property and then getting to own the very same property and turn around and deny your neighbour right of access through this very same property you once fought against.
    Anyone wants to know more and who we are dealing with should perhaps have a talk with Sir Lester Bird. Just like how Asot used to manipulate him so too this lady used to manipulate him. And she made lots of enimies along the way,

Comments are closed.