Sangster International Airport has opened a new processing lounge for cruise passengers, as it pushes to reduce congestion and support Jamaica’s expanding home porting operations out of Montego Bay Freeport.

The 600-capacity facility, retrofitted from a long-vacant section of the airport once used by Air Jamaica, is already in limited use and is expected to be fully operational by the end of June. Construction cost roughly US$1 million, according to CEO Shane Munroe, who said the buildout was driven by operational pressure as more cruise passengers fly to begin their voyages in the second city.

“This wasn’t built because we were trying to launch something flashy,” Munroe told Jamaica Observer during a recent site visit. “It came from a very real need to address the passenger experience and reduce the bottlenecks we were seeing.”

Previously, passengers arriving for cruises were processed through the same arrival corridors as general travellers, leading to long lines and discomfort for hundreds of people funnelled through tight spaces.

The new lounge, dubbed the Air-Sea lounge, offers a dedicated zone for immigration processing and amenities like restrooms, Wi-Fi and seating — all designed for short but high-volume transit flows.

“You’re talking about wide-body aircraft bringing in hundreds of passengers, all headed to a cruise ship. The lines were bleeding into areas not designed for that kind of movement. It simply wasn’t working,” Munroe said.

The Air-Sea lounge is not a silver bullet for Jamaica’s cruise strategy Munroe reasoned, but is a necessary step to keep up with shifting tourism patterns and rising passenger volumes.

Data coming out of the Ministry of Tourism show that for fiscal year 2024/25, Montego Bay saw a significant number of cruise passengers, with the Carnival Legend docked in Montego Bay with 2,183 passengers and 918 crew members.

Additionally, Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett noted that the 1.1 million cruise passengers so far this year matched the record number secured in 2019 for the same period. Overall, Jamaica’s cruise tourism sector is experiencing strong growth, with 1.26 million arrivals in 2023, 48.3 per cent above 2022 figures.

In cruise terms, home porting refers to passengers starting and ending their cruise at the same port, which requires not just port infrastructure but also proper integration with the airport. The new space facilitates this by allowing to disembark, be processed and walk directly onto waiting buses at the apron, bypassing traditional baggage claim and customs queues. Their checked luggage is separately trucked from the airport to the ship under bond.

On the reverse leg, cruise passengers check in at the port and proceed directly to the airport’s security checkpoint. Munroe noted that this setup also uses technology to speed up processing, with screening and passenger information already handled off-site.

“What’s happening now is a more seamless transfer. Bags don’t follow the passenger; they move under strict protocol straight to the ship. It reduces time and complexity for everyone involved,” he told the Business Observer.

While the facility is no yet outfitted with duty-free concessions, the airport is exploring options to mirror what exists in the general arrivals hall, pending resolution of regulatory and operational issues.

Munroe was quick to stress that the project, while modest in budget, is part of a much broader infrastructure planning process. The airport reviews its master plan every five years, with heavy stakeholder input from tourism partners, cruise lines, government agencies and ground handlers.

“We’re not building infrastructure just for today. We’re thinking ahead…what kind of growth is expected and what does that mean for how passengers move through the airport,” he said.

He added that customer feedback — particularly complaints about lines and processing time — played a key role in shaping the project.

“Even if people are only waiting five minutes, the perception of a long line changes their entire view of the experience. If we can break up that line, spread people out, and let them move through more naturally, it makes a big difference,” the CEO said.

The airport is also investing in technology to enhance efficiency. With more processes now digitised, including the C5 online immigrations forms, e-gates and biometric checks, Sangster International is replicating that model in the cruise lounge.

Munroe described the airport’s role as similar to that of a landlord, coordinating with airline, Club Mobay, immigration, customs and other service providers. “We don’t staff the entire operation, but we have a responsibility to ensure the space and systems support what those partners need to deliver.”

MBJ Airports Limited operates Sangster International Airport under a 30-year concession agreement with the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ). It’s a partnership between Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), a Mexican company, and Vantage Airport Group (VAG) of Canada. GAP is the majority shareholder, holding 74.5 per cent of the shares, while VAG owns the remaining 25.5 per cent. AAJ retains ownership of the airport’s non-movable assets and oversees the concession agreement.