PROVIDENCIALES, TCI (CMC) — An application has been made to the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn the refusal of the Supreme Court to review the legality of recent decisions by the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport Authority (TCIAA) and representatives of the British Crown, that have accused the British Crown and the TCIAA of an apparent illegal land grab.

The petition, filed by Provo Air Centre (PAC), wants the court to look into the establishment of a private fixed based operation (FBO) on land initially identified for compulsory acquisition for the sole purpose of expanding the public airport facilities.

“We are confident that a full court hearing after full disclosure of documents will show regulators acted illegally and under significant conflicts of interest,” said Lyndon Gardiner, founder and chairman of PAC.

“The Court of Appeal must act once the judges hear how the Crown and TCIAA improperly seized private lands through the compulsory acquisition process, repeatedly ignored multiple requests for information on the dealings, and ultimately violated multiple laws for a 99-year sweetheart deal for foreign-controlled investors reportedly close to the past interim administration,” he said.

According to Gardiner, public and local businesses have been harmed by the seizure of the land, “as the construction of a second private FBO in that location precludes a much needed parallel taxiway development”.

He cited the lack of ability to improve the commercial airport as raising serious safety and operational concerns for TCI’s critical tourism sector.

PAC is a subsidiary of Interisland Aviation Services, a company founded in 2001 in an effort to provide quality jobs and services in the travel and tourism industry.