by Makeda Mikael
Signature Aviation Plc the global flight support of corporate aviation has been engaged in a bid for sale of its 370 locations on five continents to the highest bidder among the global 1% of investment companies.
This coming together of these greats to purchase the world’s largest body of corporate aviation support is clearly an indicator of the future of corporate aviation, and the value of our little island Antigua, which led the way in the region as a corporate aviation hub with a nexus to a small aircraft hub at the main terminal.
What is even more interesting is the lead in this bid is Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) chaired by the Nigerian Adebayo Ogunlesi, best known as the past owner of Gatwick Airport (which is now invested in GIP).
This sale will bring new possibilities to Antigua as the rich, famous, and royal flocking to the safety of the Caribbean seas in their yachts, their corporate jets and helicopters must find safe haven in hangars on islands which will protect their assets and their privacy.
Antigua is chief among the islands of the region which has for many years provided this comfort, and could well make a bid to this new investment group for the Caribbean Headquarters of their Corporate Aviation.
Will our government sit by and allow Barbados to once more take what we have worked so hard to achieve? Already Signature Aviation owns all but one of the FBOs in the Caribbean having bought IAM chain and headquartered their money in Barbados in that stations supply fuel and other services by their requisition.
This does not allow for the circulation of revenue in the islands where it is earned, so if there is to be equitable distribution for efforts Antigua deserves the Headquarters.
The constant squabbles which are encouraged by most airports among General Aviation operators in the region exhibits an absence of regulatory oversight on the behalf of airport administrations who refuse to learn the specific rules and regulations which apply to corporate aviation.
This is the current situation which abides in Antigua also, where the airport authorities are feeling the effects of their government’s decision to sell airport lands without specific contractual arrangements, and the owners are expatriate with privilege and one local with harassment.
If Antigua & Barbuda is to benefit from the new giant Investment group owning Signature Aviation corporate support, petty politics and harassment of local ownership must cease, and the airport must respectfully meet and plan with the local investment in like manner it as it does with expatriate, and plan the future of Corporate Aviation in the new milieu.
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That picture is the vision that Stanford had for that part of the runway 10. I don’t think one can use this picture without having the rights.
Had Allen not been accused of any Ponzi Scheme this is the kind of developement Antigua would have seen. And that to me is not what a swindler does. Anytime you seize a business in the midst of its operation you will have a cash flow issue and have tp force sale on their assets. In that case many will lose their investment. if you have a run on any bank in the middle of its operations, there will never be enough cash to pay all the deposiors their money. That when governments will have to bail out the bank in order to stabelize the industry and not cause an even bigger problem. We have seen that with the ABI BANK. Eventually the tax payer pays the bill.
By the way I would encourage YIDA to buy into this vision. It will support their development big time. All their clients will make use of this facility and from there take a helicopter from Calvin Ayer or take a vessel from the Barnicle Point dock to Guiana Island.
@Sideline. Opportunity for Ayr Aviation eh? Depends how deep the pockets really are!
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