Two firetenders honour the inaugural American Airlines Flight 1427 with a water salute just after the flight arrived at the Argyle International Airport on Saturday at 3:40 p.m. (Photo: St Clair Scott)
“It’s AA at AIA,” declared the Prime Minister after the largest airline in the world, American Airlines (AA), touched down on the runway of Argyle International (AIA) last Saturday afternoon.
When the AA 1427 service landed for the first time at the AIA, shortly before its scheduled arrival time of 3:40 pm last Saturday afternoon, the passengers received a special welcome.
Dignitaries including the Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, his wife Eloise Gonsalves, Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne, and Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar, were all present to witness the touchdown.
The Prime Minister and his wife both greeted some of the disembarking passengers, and finally the pilots responsible for guiding the plane to the AIA.
Miss St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) 2018, Shellisa Nanton, in full regalia, also stood to greet the passengers while they shuffled along the jet bridge, while representatives of the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Tourism Authority handed out gift bags.
Each arriving traveller was given a bag which contained a flight certificate, a mug, a beauty pack from Jazzy’s All Natural Vincy products, a pack of Grenadine sea salt, and a book on SVG.
All of these activities were conducted to background music of the steel pan, being played by popular local pannist, Rodney Small.
As the dignitaries and the AA pilots took their seats in the adjacent departure lounge, a short ribbon cutting ceremony began, in which the first to speak was Managing Director for the Caribbean, for American Airlines, Alfredo Gonsalez.
