VC Bird Intl. Airport Wi-Fi No Longer Totally Free

For arriving and departing passengers at the VC Bird International Airport, Wi-Fi will remain free, but only up to a point, and then they would have to pay for the service.

Minister responsible for Civil Aviation Robin Yearwood said a charging system is now in place and travelers will receive free Wi-Fi for a period of time before they are required to pay.

“You get a half an hour free and then afterwards you pay. In some airports that I travel to, right here in the Caribbean you have to pay; you have to start by putting in your credit card information,” the minister told Observer media.

Yearwood said the offer of 30 minutes’ free Internet connection for every Wi-Fi ready electronic device is “a fair offer” and will give passengers an opportunity to stay in touch with relatives and friends while using the state-of-the-art airport.

The minister first made the announcement to charge travelers for the service last December, a few months after the new airport terminal was opened.

However, the news that the airport will be charging travelers to get online was met with resistance from many quarters including Aviation and Tourism Marketing Consultant Gatesworth James who was of the view that government’s plan to end free Wi-Fi at the airport was a shortsighted one.

James had expressed the hope that the authorities would revisit the idea, as it would have a negative impact on the tourism sector.

Source: The Antigua Daily Observer