KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston could begin to accommodate emergency relief flights as early as Thursday, says Transport Minister Daryl Vaz.

He said the timeline was based on consultations with PAC Kingston Airport Limited (PACKAL), which operates the facility, and the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).

“The assumption is that the system [Hurricane Melissa] will leave Jamaica by the end of today, Tuesday (October 28). The impact on the Norman Manley International Airport is not extensive,” he pointed out.

“Both PACKAL and JCAA will use tomorrow (October 29) to inspect and clean up the facility and restore the test equipment that has been decommissioned to accommodate flights,” he informed.

The minister was speaking during Tuesday’s press conference to update the nation on Hurricane Melissa, at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Kingston.

With respect to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Minister Vaz said the status in relation to emergency flights from the facility is uncertain at this time.

“We are not sure what will happen in Montego Bay… but we know [the hurricane] could have potential disabling impact for that airport,” he pointed out.

Minister Vaz said the Ian Flemming International Airport in St Mary is being considered as a part of the contingency planning.

“Meaning, we can get into Ian Flemming with certain types of aircrafts and that will help us significantly based on the distance between Ian Flemming and Montego Bay,” he said.

— JIS