MONTEGO BAY, St James – The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is, within the next six months, to boast a museum inside its terminal buildings.

The facility will represent a collaborative effort between MBJ Airports Limited, which operates the airport, and the Institute of Jamaica.

“MBJ Airport’s museum will be a satellite museum of the Institute of Jamaica and works that will be on show will be rotated on a quarterly basis,” said Norman Tomlinson, the terminal and security manager at the airport.

He was speaking at the official opening of the new concourse building, which is located at the eastern end of the airport.

Tomlinson added that the joint initiative would allow Jamaicans to foster a greater sense of awareness as to the importance of the island’s cultural heritage.

Director of Museums at the Institute of Jamaica Wayne Modest told the Observer that the airport facility would showcase, primarily, objects of art and history on different aspects of the island’s heritage.

“We will be drawing from our extended history starting from the Tainos and we will be exploring different themes so it could be music one time and it could also be sometimes on our ritual tradition,” Modest explained.

He said that the space where the exhibitions would be mounted had already been identified, adding that MBJ Airports has assured the (IOJ) that proper security arrangements would be in place to protect the exhibits.

The Sangster International Airport is currently undergoing a US$160-million expansion project.