Douglas–Charles Airport Explained

Douglas–Charles Airport
Iata:DOM
Icao:TDPD
Type:Public
Owner:Government of Dominica
Operator:Dominica Air & Sea Ports Authority
City-Served:Marigot and Roseau.
Location:Dominica
Elevation-F:73
Coordinates:15.5469°N -61.3°W
Pushpin Map:Dominica
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Dominica
Pushpin Label:DOM
R1-Number:09/27
R1-Length-M:1756
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Metric-Rwy:Y
Footnotes:Source: WAD[1] Google Maps[2] SkyVector[3]

Douglas–Charles Airport, formerly known as Melville Hall Airport, is an airport located on the northeast coast of Dominica, 2miles northwest of Marigot. It is about one hour away from the second largest city Portsmouth. It is one of only two airports in the island nation of Dominica, the other being Canefield Airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of Roseau.

History

The Melville Hall area was chosen as the site for Dominica's main airport in 1944, for it was the only place on the island with extensive flat land.[4] It was only after the completion of the Cross-Country Roadway connection from Belles to Marigot, in 1958, that work on the airport began.[4] [5] The facility opened on 22 November 1961, and was first served by Douglas DC-3 Dakotas operated by BWIA.[5]

Three airlines were operating scheduled passenger service with turboprop aircraft into the airport in late 1979 including Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) with Hawker Siddeley HS 748 flights nonstop from Antigua, Fort de France, Pointe a Pitre and St. Lucia as well as direct, no change of plane HS 748 flights from Barbados, Grenada, Port of Spain and St. Vincent; Air Martinique with nonstop Fokker F27 service from Fort de France; and Air Guadeloupe with nonstop de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter service from Pointe a Pitre.[6]

Historical jetliner service

According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), two airlines were operating scheduled passenger jet service into the Melville Hall Airport in the spring of 1995: Carib Express with nonstop British Aerospace BAe 146-100 jet flights from Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Lucia; and Liberty Airlines with nonstop Boeing 727-200 jet service to St. Kitts and St. Lucia as well as direct, one stop 727 service to Fort Lauderdale.[7] The OAG also lists scheduled passenger service at this same time flown by LIAT into the airport with de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 turboprops nonstop from Antigua, Fort de France, Pointe a Pitre, and St. Maarten as well as direct, no change of plane Dash 8 flights from Anguilla, Port of Spain, St. Lucia, San Juan, PR and Tortola.[8]

Airport expansion

In 2006 an airport expansion and upgrade program began which entailed the expansion of the terminal building to include a new departure lounge, customs and immigration section, and check-in area. The runway and apron were also extended and new night landing and navigational aids were installed. These enhancements had an extended completion date of mid-2010.[9]

The first-ever night landing was conducted on 9 August 2010 by Winair.[10] Regular night landings at the airport began on 20 September 2010; the first flight, from LIAT, flew from V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua.[11]

Renaming of airport

The airport was renamed from Melville Hall Airport to Douglas–Charles Airport on 27 October 2014 in honour of Prime Ministers Rosie Douglas and Pierre Charles.[12]

Commercial jetliner service

On 22 July 2021, American Airlines announced a new, twice-weekly nonstop jet service between Miami and Dominica, which began on 8 December 2021.[13] The service is operated by its American Eagle affiliate Embraer 175. This marked the first non-stop commercial service between the mainland United States and Dominica. The initial service operated twice weekly until 10 January 2022, when it increased to thrice weekly. As of 5 April 2022, flights now operate once daily.[14] [15] American Eagle is currently the largest airline at the airport. As of 16 August 2022, the government is in reported talks with American Airlines to increase frequencies to the airport with an extra daily service (Weekends, Mondays, and Wednesdays) from Miami.[16]

American Eagle is now the largest air carrier to serve the airport, with a 36% market share.[17]

Government discussions with other airlines

As of 2021, the government of Dominica was in talks with various airlines—including Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and United Airlines—for new service options to Canada and the northeastern United States.[18] [19] [20] [21]

Notable airliner visits

On 22 May 1989, a BAe 146 flown by Dan Gurney, BAe test pilot, and William Rosquist, BAe 146 Chief Pilot for Aspen Airways, made the first commercial jet landing at Douglas Charles Airport on a sales tour of the Lesser Antilles. On 4 April 2020, an Avianca Airbus A320neo arrived at the airport with medical supplies and equipment from Paramaribo. After offloading the cargo, the aircraft left shortly after for Bogota. The aircraft was the largest airliner to ever land at the airport.[22]

The airport has also handled other airliners and cargo aircraft of similar sizes in the past.

A Canadian North Boeing 737-500, which operated as a charter for a soccer team.

On Monday, 14 October 2013, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 operated by Danish Air Transport in collaboration with Coca-Cola arrived on the island, carrying the FIFA World Cup Trophy.[23]

On Saturday, 2 November 2019, a United States Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III arrived with cargo and other humanitarian equipment.[24]

Amerijet was once a frequent operator at the airport with its Boeing 727-200F, until the airline retired the type in 2018.[25]

On Monday, 17 April 2023, Conviasa operated chartered flights from Caracas with their Embraer E190 aircraft (YV2911 & YV2912) for the Alba Games in Venezuela. This marked the first time an Embraer E190 aircraft arrived at the airport.[26]

On Saturday, 9 September 2023, one of Aurora Anguilla Resort & Gulf Club's Embraer E170 aircraft arrived at the airport as a Men's Senior Football team charter. The team headed to Turks and Caicos to compete in various sporting events. This was the first time an Embraer 170 aircraft arrived at the airport.[27]

Upcoming new airlines

Based on a recent report as of 16 August 2022, Venezuelan-based charter airline Sasca[28] (in cooperation with Barbados' Executive Air[29] and Blue Star), will soon begin operating flights in the Eastern Caribbean between Dominica and Barbados, Grenada, St.Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The flights will be operated by Jetstream 31 and Jetstream 32 aircraft.[30]

Facilities

Passenger terminal

The Passenger Terminal at the airport houses 10 airline check-in counters,[31] the arrivals and departures area, and 2 Gates. Recently, there was an addition made to the terminal, which added an Executive Lounge that all arriving and departing passengers can utilize. The lounge is full of comforts and services at Douglas Charles Airport of Dominica. Lounge Seating, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Newspaper/ Magazine, Tourism Information and Bookings, Flight Monitors, Cultural Exhibits, Complimentary beverages, Complimentary snacks, Private Rest Rooms, Personalized Meet and Greets, Baggage Assistance, Assisted Immigration and Customs, and Taxi Arrangements.[32] [33] The lounge has many offerings and 3 categories of arrival and departure services. These include:

An In-Lounge Service:

Arrival Services

Departure Services

Passenger gates

With the recent commencement of service to Miami operated by American Airlines, a ground-level Passenger gate system was implemented.[34]

Airlines and their respective gates are as follows:

Runways and taxiways

The airport features one 5,761-foot runway. Runway 09 has a 1,158 foot Displaced Threshold due to the rising terrain to the west of the airport, with an available landing distance of 4,603 feet. It's only authorized for visual approaches, and landings at night are prohibited. Runway 27 departures are prohibited.[35] [36]

Runway extension

The Minister of Tourism announced Thursday, 11 May 2023, that the Runway at the Dominica Douglas Charles Airport will be extended. Runway 09 will extend further into the valley to accommodate larger passenger aircraft and a higher Takeoff Weight by the existing Envoy Air service. The extension will be about (180 m) = (+/- 590 ft).[37] [38] [39] The current runway length will be extended from (1756 m - 5761 ft) to (1936 m - 6351 ft). The project is expected to be completed 3 months (November 2023) from the commencement date (August 2023).[40]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

American Eagle operates regional jets; Embraer E-Jets. The carrier is currently the only operator serving the airport with Commercial Jetliners.[41]

In the coming months, Dominica will become an Eastern Caribbean Regional hub for Sunrise Airways expansion operations.[42]

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest international flights out of Douglas Charles Airport by frequency as of 2022[43]
Rank Destinations (operated by) Frequency (weekly) Carriers
1 Barbados10Air Antilles, Caribbean Airlines, InterCaribbean Airways, Liat
2 Miami7American Eagle
37InterCaribbean Airways
4 Saint Lucia6Air Antilles, InterCaribbean Airways
53Air Antilles, Winair Air Sunshine
63
73Silver Airways
83Air Sunshine
9 Antigua and Barbuda2Liat
10 Trinidad and Tobago1Caribbean Airlines

Visitor arrival performance 2021-2023

As countries emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and passenger arrivals have increased. Below are the statistics from Q1 2021 - June 2022.

Visitor arrival overview 2021

Visitor arrival overview 2022

Q1 Total Stayover Arrivals

The total stayover arrivals in the month of May was 8,050. (Reflecting a 300% increase over the corresponding period in 2021, and a 29% increase versus Q4 of 2021).

May stayover statistics

In May, stayover visitations totaled 4,181, reflective of a 391% increase over the corresponding period in 2021. Notwithstanding the 30% decline over 2019. The USA dominated May arrivals, accounting for 35%.[46]

Y-T-D June 2022 stayover arrivals surpass Full-Year 2021[47]

Dominica's Visitor Arrivals from the US Continue to Rise

Since the inauguration of American Airlines, there has been a significant increase in U.S. visitor arrivals to the island. A total of 2,019 visitor arrivals were recorded in July 2022, the highest on record (dating back to February 2017, when Ross University operated in Dominica).[17]

Visitor arrival overview 2023

H1 Stayover Arrivals

Carrier market shares

Carrier shares (January 2022 – November 2022)!Rank!Carrier!Passengers!% of market
1American Eagle13,00033.00%

Annual traffic

Incidents and accidents

Other facilities

The airport houses the Dominica Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.[54]

Navigation

The airport offers an RNAV approach only on Runway 27. Landings on Runway 09 are strictly visual.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: usurped. Airport information for TDPD. https://web.archive.org/web/20190305143444/http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?airport=TDPD. 2019-03-05. World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
  2. Web site: Douglas-Charles Airport . Google Maps . 21 June 2018.
  3. Web site: Douglas Charles - International Airport . SkyVector . 21 June 2018.
  4. Book: Honychurch, Lennox. The Dominica Story. 3rd. Development and Welfare. 191. 0-333-62776-8. 2005. Macmillan Publishing.
  5. Book: Cracknell, Basil E.. Dominica. 103–4. 0-8117-0531-5. 1973. David & Charles Ltd.
  6. 1 Dec. 1979 Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American Edition, Dominica flight schedules
  7. 2 April 1995 Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American Edition, Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Lucia & Fort Lauderdale flight schedules
  8. Web site: LIAT the caribbean airline .
  9. Web site: Melville Hall Air Access Improvement Programme - Ministry of Public Works and the Digital Economy . 10 April 2022 . 29 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220929042950/https://publicworks.gov.dm/projects/past-projects/18-melville-hall-air-access-improvement-programme . dead .
  10. News: First Ever Night Landing Conducted at Melville Hall Airport . Staff . 11 August 2010 . 19 January 2013 . Dominica Central Newspaper . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120423121402/http://www.dominicacentral.com/general/community/first-ever-night-landing-conducted-at-melville-hall-airport.html . 23 April 2012.
  11. Web site: Night Landing: Night Landing comes to the Douglas Charles Airport.
  12. News: It is now Douglas-Charles Airport. 25 April 2015. Dominica News Online. 27 October 2014.
  13. Web site: American Airlines announces new Caribbean destinations from MIA .
  14. Web site: American Airlines Launching Nonstop Flights to Anguilla and Dominica. 26 July 2021.
  15. Web site: Dominica Welcomes American Airlines Daily Flights . 21 December 2021 .
  16. Web site: Dominica targeting active luxury travelers as hotel options expand .
  17. Web site: Dominica's Visitor Arrivals from the US Continue to Rise . 29 September 2022 .
  18. Web site: Dominica looks for three more U.S. Airlines to arrive in the country . 28 December 2021 .
  19. Web site: Dominica in discussion with airlines to expand international flights .
  20. Dominica May Soon be Welcoming More International Flights .
  21. Web site: Dominica Hoping New International Airport Will Elevate It to Major Caribbean Destination . 15 July 2021 .
  22. Web site: Avianca Airbus A320-251N | Medical Cargo | Dominica Douglas Charles Airport . .
  23. Web site: FIFA World Cup trophy arrives in Dominica . 14 October 2013 .
  24. Web site: U.S Air Force || Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | Dominica Douglas Charles Airport - YouTube . .
  25. Web site: GLORY DAYS || Amerijet Boeing 727 | Douglas Charles Airport . .
  26. Web site: RARE VISITOR! Conviasa Embraer E190AR | Alba Games Charter | Planespotting Dominica (4K) . .
  27. Web site: Special FOOTBALL CHARTER | | Aurora Anguilla - Embraer E170LR | Dominica Douglas Charles Airport . .
  28. Web site: SASCA Airlines.
  29. Web site: Luxury Private Charter. Executive Air Ltd.
  30. Web site: St Vincent and the Grenadines to benefit from new air carrier . 16 August 2022 .
  31. Web site: Airlines .
  32. Web site: Dominica: Executive lounge at Douglas Charles Airports offers world-class amenities to passengers . 26 July 2022 .
  33. Web site: Dominica: Tourism Ministry welcomes tourists at executive lounge at Douglas Charles Airport . 10 March 2022 .
  34. Web site: Dominica Douglas–Charles Airport | Nicosia | AirlineSim .
  35. Web site: Melville Hall Airport .
  36. Web site: Roseau, Dominica, Douglas-Charles Intl.
  37. Web site: Dominica to expand runway at Douglas Charles Airport. 11 May 2023. Dominica News Online.
  38. Web site: PM SKERRIT EXPLAINS DECISION TO EXPAND RUNWAY AT DOUGLAS-CHARLES - GIS Dominica. news.gov.dm.
  39. Web site: Dominica planning to expand the runway at Douglas Charles Airport. Lee Yan. LaSur. 12 May 2023.
  40. Web site: Extension works on runway at Douglas Charles Airport commenced: PM Roosevelt Skerrit. Anglina. Byron. 15 August 2023.
  41. https://news.miami-airport.com/american-airlines-announces-new-caribbean-destinations-from-mia/
  42. https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/sunrise-airways-discloses-dominica-as-focus-of-eastern-caribbean-route/
  43. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airports/dom All international routes from DOM-flightradar24
  44. Web site: Visitor Arrivals Overview 2021 - Dominica Update . 8 April 2022 .
  45. Web site: Q1 2022 Visitor Arrival Performance Suggests a Positive Outlook for Dominica's Tourism - Dominica Update . 10 June 2022 .
  46. Web site: May 2022 Stayover Visitor Arrivals - Dominica Update . 29 June 2022 .
  47. Web site: Y-T-D June 2022 stayover arrivals surpass Full-Year 2021 - Dominica Update . 29 July 2022 .
  48. Traveling to Dominica This Summer Just Got Easier .
  49. https://dominicaupdate.com/2023/08/09/dominica-makes-great-strides-in-tourist-arrival-performance/
  50. Web site: NTSB Identification: ATL98RA119. NTSB.
  51. Web site: Accident: Private Learjet 35A runway excursion.
  52. Web site: Aircraft stuck at Melville Hall. . Dominica News Online . 5 December 2012 . 26 June 2018.
  53. Web site: Accident: Sky High JS41 at Dominica on Apr 8th 2019, runway excursion on landing.
  54. "Dominica Outstation." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 23 December 2012.