MONTEGO BAY, St James

Work to expand the runway at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James, is now underway and tourism interests in the western Jamaica are anticipating the benefits that the development will bring on completion.

The expanded runway will allow larger airplanes, especially from Europe and Asia, to be accommodated at the facility.

According to CEO of MBJ Airports Limited, operators of the facility, Shane Munroe, the move has become necessary because of the need for the airport to receive “the ever-increasing amount of wide-body and long-haul aircraft.”

“We are looking forward to receiving an ever-increasing amount of wide-body and long-haul aircraft from destinations as far as Europe and beyond. This project will ensure that we have the right runway aviation infrastructure to meet these goals while enhancing the safety of aircraft operations to meet international requirements,” Munroe told the Jamaica Observer West.

The work started last week and so far, the designated space for the expansion is being cleared of trees and other objects. The runway pavement at the airport is set to be expanded by 408 metres and will see the establishment of runway-end safety areas (RESAs) as well. There will also be the installation of new lighting as well as other navigational aids. The contract is valued at some US$34 million and work is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

Nadine Spence, chair of the Montego Bay chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said members are looking forward to the development.

“We are loving it, it’s a welcomed move and we can’t wait. This is what it is all about, this is what growth is about. I mean the airport has won year after year, consistently, the award for the number one airport in the Caribbean, so expansion would be at the top of their list,” she argued.

She further stated that the move would bode well for the tourism sector especially in light of the number of rooms being built or scheduled to be built in the near future.

“Rooms building up here, there and everywhere. We have 400 rooms in Hanover, we have rooms coming out here in Trelawny, we have Hard Rock, two hotels have been afforded licences to operate as casinos so we will have the capacity to handle more guests when they come,” she explained.

Robin Russell, owner and operator of Deja Resort located on the iconic Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in the resort city of Montego Bay, said the expansion of the runway “means we can reach into markets that long-haul planes leave from, because right now they go into Cuba and they connect through, so having them being able to have that direct flight into Jamaica will definitely increase where we can market tourism.”

Russell stressed that the project is definitely welcomed, and noted the overall scope of work that is being undertaken at the facility.

“We definitely welcome it and any improvement to improve the product of Jamaica is welcomed by us. We are also looking forward to the expansion of the terminals, not just the runway. The expansion of the terminals will facilitate a quicker turn- over of guests,” he argued.

Ian Dear, CEO of Express Catering, an entity which operates at the Sangster International Airport, agreed that the move to expand the runway is indeed a positive one.

“We will definitely benefit, it’s definitely a positive thing for us, no question about it, and we are very appreciative that between the Government and the private sector they’ve made it into a reality,” he remarked.

“It does open up the opportunity in terms of potential volumes that Jamaica could benefit from by providing the facilities for larger aircrafts that can fly long distances.”

The work being done to extend the runway is part of a larger scope of work that has seen other major improvements done at the facility. Just recently, work was completed on a section of the tarmac dubbed the apron—a 45 per cent expansion— that allows aircrafts to better manoeuvre, as well as the renovation of the concession area.