MONTEGO BAY, St James — Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Daryl Vaz, has reiterated the need for the acceleration of a new long-term master plan for Sangster International Airport (SIA) that will prepare it for future demands after the current concession agreement with MBJ Airports Ltd expires.

“Looking ahead, while the current capital programme is focused on medium-term needs, long-term projections — [a] 20-year span from 2034 to 2054 — will require major expansion. A new long-term master plan is to be developed to address this future demand. The plan envisions a new state-of-the-art terminal at SIA supported by direct highway linkages to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion,” said the minister.

He was addressing a recent SIA Airport Forum held at the facility’s Air Sea Lounge.

“These plans must now be fast-tracked to ensure readiness for long-term demand beyond 2034,” he added.

In April 2003, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and MBJ Airports inked a 30-year agreement for the entity, which is primarily owned by Mexico’s Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), to operate, maintain and develop SIA.

During the forum Vaz, who is in his second term as minister with responsibility for transport, said GOJ has appointed an enterprise team to guide the process of developing the master plan and negotiating a new concession agreement for the facility. He cautioned that waiting until the end of the concession period to begin planning could place Jamaica at a disadvantage.

“To start planning for 2034 when a concession expires, when it is estimated that it will take up to five to seven years to do any new expansion to stay current and of course stay competitive, is something that [the] enterprise team will have to look at to see whether or not some kind of early negotiation or early process can take place to fast-track that,” argued Vaz.

“2034 will keep us behind the timelines of other competitors and make sure that we are always in a position where we are expanding to meet existing demand rather than planning to meet future demand. So, that is something that we will be paying a lot of attention to in the coming weeks and months,” the minister noted.

In addition to ongoing investment in the multi-award-winning port, MBJ Airports Ltd currently has in place a US$118-million capital expenditure investment programme for the 2026 to 2030 period.

“Our investment in Sangster still continues. This is to ensure that we remain ahead of the travel and tourism industry,” MBJ Airports Limited Chief Executive Officer Shane Munroe assured during the forum.

“Many projects are part of that: The departures plaza, which is at the front of the boomerang; the arrivals expansion to accommodate new hotels’ lounges; and the east concourse extension. Of course, we are going to also continue with the refresh of the arrivals journey to include [the] baggage… and customs area as well,” said Munroe.

In 2025, SIA connected 45 destinations through 29 airline partners. It provides jobs for about 7,500 people.

Under the current agreement with MBJ Airports Ltd, SIA has accounted for more than US$457 million being directly contributed to the Jamaican economy through concession fees and taxes. Earlier this year, for the 17th consecutive time, SIA was named the Caribbean’s leading airport.