ST JAMES, Jamaica — Sangster International Airport (SIA) has been named the Caribbean’s leading airport for the ninth consecutive year by World Travel Awards.

SIA emerged as the winner from a pool of 11 Caribbean airports nominated for the prestigious award.

The accolade was first bestowed on SIA in 2005. It won again in 2009 and has won the title again each year since.

“This is a tremendous achievement for Sangster International Airport and for Jamaica. It really reflects the dedication and professionalism of our entire staff who work tirelessly to improve the traveller experience,” said MBJ Airports CEO Rafael Echevarne.

 “We are pleased that our efforts to improve the physical infrastructure of the airport and create an authentically Jamaican experience for airline passengers are being recognised by World Travel Awards and the international travel community. This is yet another example of how Jamaica is setting the bar for the entire region,” Echevarne added.

MBJ Airports has spearheaded a number of initiatives over the past two years to improve the passenger experience by reducing queues at security check points, by displaying Jamaican art throughout the airport and by ensuring retail concessionaires improve their product offering for the travelling public.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to recognise and reward excellence in key segments of the tourism, travel and hospitality industries, thereby encouraging practitioners to continuously improve the standards of their product and service offering.