WESTERN BUREAU — The Negril aerodrome is to be extended by 500 feet this July, according to president of the Airports Authority of Jamaica, Earl Richards.

“We are extending the runway primarily for safety reasons. This will allow for greater correction on landing, ” Richards told the Observer.

Last April, a Timair air taxi was totally destroyed after it made a crash landing at the aerodrome. All three persons on board were slightly injured, triggering renewed calls for an expansion of the facility.

The runway, which is now shorter than most in the island, Richards said, could pose a problem for some pilots, especially when there are heavy winds and the plane is harder to land.

Included in the July project, the drainage will be improved and the soft shoulders firmed up to decrease the chance of planes getting stuck if they run off the runway, Richards explained.

Over the years, there have also been calls for lights to be installed at the aerodrome but Richards shot down that idea, pointing out that “there are no arrangements for night landing” at the north coast facility.

Tourism interests in the resort town have also called for the domestic airport to be relocated, arguing that the noise of planes landing and taking off disrupts the tranquility of the area. But that idea was also rejected by the AAJ head who raised issues such as cost and practicality.

“Any relocation would take place in the Little London area,” he told the Observer. “But that relocation is unlikely, and although there has been heated debate on the issue, it would be at a major cost and no one is willing to put up the money.”

He added that with the completion of the North Coast Highway, which has cut travel time between Montego Bay and Negril to under an hour, more people now travel between the resort centres by car. An investment in a new facility would therefore not be a practical move at a time when the customer base in shrinking.

“The roads have gotten better so people may want to use the aerodrome less,” Richards said.

But Kenric Davis, president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce, still has reservations about the location of the aerodrome. While he made it clear that he is not opposed to the extension of the runway in principle, he was concerned about the safety issues concerning the facility.

“I welcome a longer runway for Negril but I have some serious concerns about location and safety,” he said. “While I welcome having a larger runway, (as) this would encourage larger planes landing as well as enhancing tourism, the western side of the aerodrome is just across from the main road and across a number of hotels. I have some concerns there and I wish someone could allay my fears. It is better to be safe than sorry,” Davis added.