History was made on December 11, 2021 when the American Airlines (AA) flew its inaugural service into the island from Miami offering Tourists yet another way to get into Anguilla.
Anguilla Island
The Island’s name, Anguilla originates from the Italian word ‘anguilla’, meaning “eel” diminutive of anguis, snake) in reference to the island’s landscape. Anguilla was first settled by Indigenous Amerindian peoples who migrated from South America.
In 1650, Anguilla became colonized by British settlers from Saint Kitts and thereafter remained a British territory, administered as part of the Leeward Islands colony, hence it is internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
About Anguilla Airport
Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (previously known as the Anguilla Wallblake Airport, named after the island’s famous plantation owner) – a small international airport located very close to The Valley, the Island’s capital.
Wallblake Airport is a featured airport in one of the Flight Simulator X game demos. It has a small terminal with no jetways and is the only airport in Anguilla.
Captain Clayton J. Lloyd was the man, who as a child was mesmerised with the sound of the DC-3 that regularly flew in from Puerto Rico to load up with Anguillians lobster.
Encouraged by Jeremiah Gumbs, his uncle, Clayton trained as a pilot in New Jersey, obtained a commercial license and partnered with Uncle Jerry in the creation of Anguilla Airways, the island’s first commercial airlines. He became the Island’s first pilot and the first man on Anguilla to own an airplane.
Captain Lloyd started flying in the 60s and 70s. He regularly carried passengers to St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
He also provided a search and rescue service and an emergency service for patients who needed to be airlifted out of Anguilla for medical attention.
Captain Lloyd sadly died doing what he loved in 1977 when a fire started aboard one of his planes during take-off crashed into the sea, igniting everything around in a matter of minutes. There were no survivors.
July 4, 2010 marks Captain Lloyd’s 68th birthday and a colossal celebration where this pioneer, the man who brought air travel to Anguilla, was awarded widely deserved recognition for his efforts hence the Anguilla airport a reminder of his notable achievement.
Its namesake was the first Anguillan aviator and founded the first Anguillan air service, Air Anguilla, which was later renamed ‘Valley Air Service’.
The airport houses the Anguilla Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.
Upon entry into the terminal building of Anguilla’s airport, you will be greeted immediately by a flurry of signs and billboards advertising scheduled and chartered flights by local airlines to San Juan, to St Barths, to Nevis or Virgin Gorda.
That, this is Anguilla’s exit to the outside world is neither surprising nor by any means unique—as most Islands gateway is usually either by sea or by air. Furthermore, as you navigate along Wallblake Road, Clayton J Lloyd International Airport tells you a story from the very moment it greets you with a welcome sign.
A plaque on the eastern side of the airport commemorates the date—1988—when Wallblake Airport (before it was dedicated to Mr. Lloyd) was upgraded.
Furthermore, the row of check-in counters on the west end of the structure, like a map, provides a detailed narratives of the history of aviation in Anguilla.
First is, Liat, and there is an eerie dose of symbolism in this, because in the beginning of aviation in Anguilla there was none other than Liat servicing the island with its distinctive four-engined de Haviland Heron and later on its smaller, Britten Norman Islander. And then there is Cape Air, which occupies both physically and metaphorically, the space left by American Eagle after losing a power struggle with the Government.
And then comes a series of local airlines that occupy the check-in counters all the way to the end of the building—Lloyd’s Aviation, Carl Thomas’s Anguilla Air Services
Of course, the history of aviation in Anguilla is a mixed story of both tragedy as well as progress.
American Airlines, Inc. (AA or AAL) is a major American airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
It is the world’s largest airline when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passenger mile.
American, together with its regional partners, operates an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.
American Airlines is a founding member of the One world alliance, the third-largest airline alliance in the world. Regional service is operated by independent and subsidiary carriers under the brand name American Eagle.
American Airlines was developed from a conglomeration of 82 small airlines through acquisitions in 1930and reorganizations; initially, American Airways was a common brand used by a number of independent carriers.
On April 15, 1926, Charles Lindbergh flew the first American Airlines flight – carrying U.S. mail from St. Louis, Missouri, to Chicago, Illinois. After 8 years of mail routes, the airline began to form into what it is today.
American founder C.R. Smith worked with Donald Douglas to create the DC-3; a plane that changed the entire airline industry, switching revenue sources from mail to passengers.7, 2013, American introduced a new logo, livery, and brand image, unveiling the livery on its first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which went into service later that month.
On February 14, 2013, AMR Corporation and US Airways Group officially announced that the two companies would merge to form the largest airline (and airline holding company) in the world
On April 8, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded American Airlines and US Airways a single operating certificate
In October 2015, American announced that it would introduce a new “no-frills fare.” This is mainly an effort to compete with low-cost carriers, such as JetBlue or Spirit Airlines. The new fares became available starting in 2016.
Since 2018, American Airlines has made drastic modifications to its overseas international network. These include the elimination of Asian routes and expansion of the European footprint at its Chicago hub, the experimentation of new transatlantic routes at the Philadelphia hub, and the expansions of service to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
Following its merger with US Airways in 2013, American Airlines underperformed its rivals operationally and financially.
While the integration of the two carriers went more smoothly than that of other carriers American as of 2021 ranks relatively poorly in several quality rankings and is the most-indebted major US airline, due in part to its spending on stock buybacks.
In summer 2019, American Airlines suffered significant service disruptions, due in part to the grounding of the 737 MAX, labour disputes, and poor weather
In February 2021, American announced 13,000 workers would be furloughed in April if the Payroll Support Program was not extended again; following the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the furloughs were cancelled
December 7, 2021, American Airlines Group announced Doug Parker will be retiring as the chief executive officer on March 31, 2022 while he will continue to be the chairman of American’s board.
Robert Isom, the current president of American will be the new CEO.
America-Anguilla Inaugural Direct-Flight
According to Anguilla Tourism Board (ATB) Chairman, Kenroy Herbert, ‘Access is the most critical factor for any destination, and the Miami gateway provides excellent connectivity from the west coast so it opens up lucrative new markets for the island.”
Operated by AA’s subsidiary Envoy Air, the flight which was originally scheduled to depart Miami International Airport at 10:24 am later it took off around 11:17am and arrived the Clayton J Lloyd International Airport at 2:47 pm.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Haydn Hughes and Parliamentary Secretary Quincia Gumbs-Marie were among the over 100 passengers on-board Flight AA3780.
Gumbs-Marie said it was a dream of the government to have American Airlines back into Anguilla.
“In a highly competitive arena, it is essential to have a non-stop service and easy connections from major markets. With this new Miami route, our guest from the US, UK, South America, Dubai and Canada now has convenient access to our wonderful island. American Airlines has launched Anguilla on the tourism market and we look forward to growing the location with you,” she said.
Anguilla’s Premier Dr Ellis Webster noted it was important for Anguilla to have connectivity with the rest of the world to boost its profile in the eyes of international travellers.
“Connectivity, that is an important word from the day of the Wright brothers wanting to fly…today we have ascended to a different level where we have commercial flights from mainland USA. Thank you for seeing Anguilla as a destination that needs your help and we look forward to making it profitable for you,” Webster stated.
The Parliamentary Secretary spoke in greater detail about the plans for the American Airlines’ service to Anguilla – during the Government’s press conference on Monday, August 16, said: “I have always told the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority (AASPA) team that I think of the Clayton J. International Airport as a big airport.
Even as we define ourselves now, we are moving from regarding ourselves as a small island state to a big ocean territory so we have to think big.
As a result, we are making changes to be more competitive in terms of international standards.
“I have recently asked for an experienced auditor to time the last passenger leaving the airline and the last passenger leaving the airport. It is to see how long that takes for passenger movement to go through the terminal building. We will see where the hold-ups are and will work out the kinks. That is what’s happening right now. When I see the results of that report, we will work with the AASPA team, the Ministry [of Aviation], Customs and Immigration to see where the holds-up are so that we can provide our visitors with a better experience.”
Earlier, Mrs. Gumbs-Marie told media representatives. “I had a walk-through [the Airport Terminal Building] with some of our tourism stakeholders who will be assisting us with the improvements needed to facilitate American Airlines, and other airlines, to come to Anguilla. With American Airlines coming to the island, we will have a lot of open points of access throughout the United States. Previously we relied predominantly on the Tri-State area. With this new Miami route, it will open a lot of access throughout the US, UK, Dubai and Canada. We are shifting our marketing to follow through on that – and to ensure that Anguilla can benefit from the increased opportunities with American Airlines coming to the island.”
She added: “It is something that we are looking forward to and we are very excited about it. This is the first time in Anguilla’s history that we will be having a direct commercial flight from, and to, the US mainland – so we are doing our best to ensure that Anguilla is prepared, and that we will also benefit from that route to the island”.
Envoy’s VP for International Operations Jorge Ramirez said American Airline/Envoy are happy to be back on the market after a long absence.
“We are here committed to the island,” Ramirez said.
American Airlines/Envoy will fly to Anguilla on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the month of December.
Minister of Tourism for Anguilla, Haydn Hughes welcomed the announcement by Juan Carlos Liscano, American Airlines’ Vice President of MIA Hub Operations.
“We are delighted that American Airlines will be inaugurating a twice-weekly, scheduled service to Anguilla this winter,” stated Minister Hughes.
“The introduction of direct service into Anguilla from the US mainland is a goal we have long been working towards, and we are thrilled that our efforts have now borne fruit. This is a tremendous vote of confidence in our destination, as American Airlines has the equipment and the route network that will enable us to significantly increase our arrivals and further develop our tourism product.”
The direct flights will operate year-round, twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Flights will depart MIA at 10:50, arriving at AXA at 14:49.
The return flight will depart AXA at 15:40, arriving at MIA at 17:53. But in January the service will increase to three times per week
Flights has been sale since July 26, 2021. Prices ranges between 420 dollars and 580 dollars depending on the time and the demand. As we know, ticket prices fluctuate on demand but the prices remain very competitive.
“The introduction of these scheduled flights will be a game-changer for our tourism industry,” said ATB Chairman, Kenroy Herbert.
“Access is the most critical factor for any destination, and the Miami gateway provides excellent connectivity from the West Coast, so it opens up lucrative new markets for Anguilla. This new service will create a host of business and leisure tourism opportunities for our island,” he said.
On April 15, 1926, Charles Lindbergh flew the first American Airlines flight – carrying U.S. mail from St. Louis, Missouri, to Chicago, Illinois.
After 8 years of mail routes, the airline began to form into what it is today. American founder C.R. Smith worked with Donald Douglas to create the DC-3; a plane that changed the entire airline industry, switching revenue sources from mail to passengers.7, 2013, American introduced a new logo, livery, and brand image, unveiling the livery on its first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which went into service later that month.
On February 14, 2013, AMR Corporation and US Airways Group officially announced that the two companies would merge to form the largest airline (and airline holding company) in the world
On April 8, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded American Airlines and US Airways a single operating certificate
In October 2015, American announced that it would introduce a new “no-frills fare.” This is mainly an effort to compete with low-cost carriers, such as JetBlue or Spirit Airlines. The new fares became available starting in 2016.
Since 2018, American Airlines has made drastic modifications to its overseas international network. These include the elimination of Asian routes and expansion of the European footprint at its Chicago hub, the experimentation of new transatlantic routes at the Philadelphia hub, and the expansions of service to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
Following its merger with US Airways in 2013, American Airlines underperformed its rivals operationally and financially. While the integration of the two carriers went more smoothly than that of other carriers American as of 2021 ranks relatively poorly in several quality rankings and is the most-indebted major US airline, due in part to its spending on stock buybacks.
In summer 2019, American Airlines suffered significant service disruptions, due in part to the grounding of the 737 MAX, labour disputes, and poor weather.
In February 2021, American announced 13,000 workers would be furloughed in April if the Payroll Support Program was not extended again; following the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the furloughs were cancelled
December 7, 2021, American Airlines Group announced Doug Parker will be retiring as the chief executive officer on March 31, 2022 while he will continue to be the chairman of American’s board. Robert Isom, the current president of American will be the new CEO.
Exhilaration Across Anguilla Over the New Air Service
There has been a great deal of excitement among Anguillians, hoteliers, travel and tour operators, and the Government and Opposition in Anguilla, over this new air service that it has been described by many observers as a Christmas gift to Anguilla just about the start of the 2021-2022 tourist season.
Concurrently, Anguilla’s Minister of Tourism, Mr. Haydn Hughes, was quoted as saying in part: “It has been a very exciting day for us in Anguilla and it is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the team in tourism and the team in Infrastructure. Starting on the 24th of July, bookings can be made for direct flights out of Miami into Anguilla.
American Airlines will be flying directly into Anguilla twice weekly on Saturdays and Wednesdays on an Embraer 175 which has a capacity of 76 seats.
“We are very excited at this time as we move forward with the expected growth in tourism over the next few months and into 2022.”
The Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board, Mr. Kenroy Herbert, also commented on the American Airlines’ imminent flights to Anguilla. He stated in part: “Access is the most critical factor for any destination, and the Miami gateway provides excellent connectivity from the west coast so it opens up lucrative new markets for the island.”
Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, issued a press statement last weekend in which she said, among other matters: “The Anguilla United Front wishes to express thanks to all those who started the discussions with American Airlines, back in 2018, including the joint public and private sector team – Mrs. Donna Banks, Mr. Curtis Richardson, Mr. Cardigan Connor and especially Mr. Nickolas Wrangler, of Forecast, who was the consultant engaged jointly by both the Government of Anguilla, and members of the private sector, to pursue route development out of the US.”
Mrs. Richardson-Hodge, the former Minister of Home Affairs, added: “We also want to thank the Government of Anguilla for continuing with yet another initiative of the Anguilla United Front…We are pleased that the 2018 promise, by American Airlines to Mr. Wrangler and Forecast, to consider a weekly service, beginning in winter 2019, though it was interrupted by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, has now materialised.”
She opined that “the flights would create great opportunities for Anguilla to grow its tourist arrivals out of various cities in the US, as well as provide Anguillians with the added convenience of non-stop service to the island.” She added: “We thank American Airlines for their sustained confidence in Anguilla, and we are confident that this decision, by American Airlines, is just the beginning of the realisation of many years of investment by various local administrations into Anguilla’s access development.”
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