January 4, 2026 marked the fifth anniversary of the passing of Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Jamaica’s ebullient, generous and patriotic businessman. During January, in his honour, the Jamaica Observer has been publishing a series of articles recalling actions of “The Chairman” that inspired the nation. This is part one of the fourth and last in the series.

In January 2013, a full eight years before his passing, Gordon “Butch” Stewart woke up one morning with Jamaica on his mind, in the way one would with a stubborn migraine. He had this gnawing feeling that the year was going to be one of the toughest in recent memory and his thoughts drifted to what he could do.

Butch Stewart, warts and all, was, more than anything else, a man for the people and the closest example of a true patriot. To the people who knew him best, the Sandals and Appliance Traders Limited founder was nothing short of obsessed with how he could make life better, especially for the poorest Jamaicans.

And on this January morning, as people were greeting each other with the traditional “Happy New Year” refrain, Jamaica’s most successful businessman came up with a list of projects he was convinced were “low-hanging fruits” which would improve life for Jamaicans.

At the top of that list was opening up the door to unprecedented development of north-eastern Jamaica — luring tourists with the extraordinary vista of lush greenery, majestic mountains, gurgling rivers and streams, and the iconic warmth of the people — by extending the runway at Ian Fleming International Airport (formerly Boscobel aerodrome) in Boscobel, St Mary.

He confidently suggested that the airport, located just east of the north coast resort town of Ocho Rios, St Ann — and named after the famous author of the fictional James Bond spy thrillers popular with moviegoers — had all the ingredients.

“It has international status with Customs and immigration. A good deal of work has been done recently to the runway and the terminal. But that airport can only accommodate small, propeller-driven or business-style jet aircraft,” said Stewart, drawing on his invaluable experience with Air Jamaica, the national airline.

During the time when he took over the operation of Air Jamaica and its subsidiary, Air Jamaica Express, he was on a steep learning curve and had learnt so much. Decades before that, through Air Jamaica Express, he had been flying his private jet in and out of the Boscobel aerodrome and had pushed hard for pilot-controlled runway lighting, even offering to procure the lights and hardware needed. That had made the aerodrome one of the most successful destinations.

No surprise then that he was integral to the concept of upgrading Boscobel aerodrome to an international airport, with full Customs, immigration, health and police services. In those early discussions with the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) it was determined that it was necessary to lengthen the runway and upgrade the terminal facility.

“The current runway is 4,780 feet long but it is too short for bigger regional jet aircraft of between 55 and 100 seats, such as flown by American Airlines, Air Canada, USAIR, JetBlue, and Delta, which would need a minimum of 5,700 to 6,000 feet,” Stewart pressed. “Ian Fleming requires only an additional 800 or 900 feet, which is really not much, to accommodate those regional jets.”

At the same time, he promptly initiated discussions with established scheduled carriers to use Ian Fleming as the gateway for passengers requiring access to the central and north-east hotels and coastal towns of Jamaica, reasoning that people prefer to travel stress-free and to land at the airport nearest to their destination.

“As it is now, most visitors and Jamaicans alike who are travelling to the Ocho Rios and north-eastern region, for example, have to enter or leave through the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James,” he said.

“Many people who would love to come to beautiful Port Antonio don’t come because of the distance — two hours compared to 15 minutes. It’s clearly one of the main reasons Port Antonio has not realised its vast potential for development,” said Stewart.

The hotel mogul also argued that with international commercial flights to Boscobel there would be, for the first time, comprehensive airport facilities for arrival and departure for a large area serving both citizens and guests alike.

“As a project, it is very feasible and well within our means… In real terms, this is a relatively small amount of money — and we can find it. I am sure it is available through the Tourism Enhancement Fund [TEF], which collects some US$20 million a year for such purposes. And, if the Government doesn’t feel up to it, Ian Fleming remains an excellent project for private investors.

“The benefits are immediate. It would drive up stopover visitors, and the people of the area would see the development and jobs they have been clamouring for,” Stewart posited.

But, as with every big idea, there were always the ‘againsters’, loud Jamaicans who can never see the vision, even if they have the right to express their opinion.

When Boscobel aerodrome was renamed Ian Fleming International Airport and opened in January 2011, it did so amidst controversy. The sign at the entrance was defaced at least twice, with residents saying they didn’t like the new name.

That prompted then Prime Minister Bruce Golding to explain that association with the James Bond novels gave Jamaica an image much larger than it would otherwise have had if the little-known Boscobel name had been retained.

Of course, Stewart was never easily daunted by naysayers. He pointed to his hotel in Exuma, one of the mostly undeveloped islands of The Bahamas, noting that when he first went there, there was no jet airlift.

“Now we have Delta and Air Canada flying there, and American Airlines touches down twice daily with their regional jets. Apart from making the place wealthy, we are providing a most wonderful service for the just-under 6,000 people living there. They can now fly directly to Miami — and on from there to other destinations in the US or Canada — literally from their back door.”

Moreover, the business tycoon suggested that Jamaica had found itself in a never-ending spiral of borrowing to pay off its debts, while not earning enough to invest in development.

“As we borrow more, the hole gets deeper and deeper and we have a debt that we can’t pay off. In fact, at this rate our grandchildren won’t be able to pay it off,” he said. “Let us begin this year to dig ourselves out of the situation.”

He believed that Jamaica needed some big projects that could accompany the funds that would be coming from hard negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral financial sources at the time.

The May 2013 economic programme was signed in the wake of a long period of anaemic growth and high debt ratio — 145 per cent of GDP — which hung around Jamaica’s neck like a thousand machetes. That was further exacerbated by the impact of Hurricane Sandy which had hit not too long before.

It is not always possible to deduce how certain things come to pass, whether they were fated to happen all on their own or they were influenced by the logic and energy of visionary individuals. It could therefore be argued that Stewart’s resolve at the start of a new year might have helped set the wicket for a new economic inning.

In that year, the Portia Simpson Miller-led Government, with Dr Peter Phillips at the head of the finance ministry, inked the punishing, four-year, US$932-million Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF to address the severe economic imbalances. The pact imposed strict fiscal discipline, calling for a 7.5 per cent primary surplus target, big tax increases, hurtful public sector wage freezes, and the formation of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) to monitor targets.

Bitter as the medicine was, Jamaicans swallowed it, setting the basis for economic stability. Some would argue that it was political suicide for the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) when it was booted from office three years later.

The EFF was later replaced in 2016 by a Precautionary Stand-By Arrangement that held the Andrew Holness Administration to the same strict standards but to which it, like the previous Government, stuck like glue.

In the end the programme was credited with restoring macroeconomic stability, notably slashing Jamaica’s debt-to-GDP ratio from over 145 per cent in 2012 to around 62-68 per cent in 2024-2025. Official targets are now for under 60 per cent by the 2027-2028 fiscal year, importantly freeing up money to be spent across the economy. The turnaround was painful but worth it.

“Butch” Stewart continued to promote Ian Fleming International Airport, parking his own private jet there frequently to support its coffers as he stubbornly awaited the day he knew would come when big commercial jets would land and take off from there.

But Stewart would not live long enough to see his dream come through. The great man passed on January 4, 2021. As fate would have it, his doggedness and extraordinary business acumen had transferred to his son, Adam Stewart, who had, from a boy, been following in the footsteps of his dad and was determined that the dream would remain alive. He picked up where his dad left off.

When American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, announced that it would start scheduled international commercial service as of November 2022 to Ian Fleming, Jamaican joy exploded.

In a press statement, Director of Tourism Donovan White said that the flights into Ian Fleming would increase access to the zone stretching from Oracabessa, St Mary, to Port Antonio, Portland, which the Government was looking to develop to cater to higher-end travellers.

“It provides easier and more direct access to this zone which includes the north-east coastlines of Oracabessa, Port Maria, St Ann’s Bay, Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay, and Ocho Rios,” he pointed out.

An exultant White was speaking at a ceremony to welcome the arrival of the inaugural charter, Quality Corporate Aircraft Services (QCAS) Aero flight from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to Ian Fleming.

Western St Mary Member of Parliament Robert Montague noted that the additional flights into the island were part of the “Blue Ocean Strategy” aimed at tapping into new markets and creating linkages that support smaller to medium-size businesses and individual entrepreneurs operating within the tourism sector.

“Utilising this model of development for tourism will also, ultimately, have a positive impact on other sectors of the Jamaican economy to which tourism provides linkages and, through them, potential job creation and benefits to local communities,” he projected.

A few months before, the arrival of an InterCaribbean Airways flight from Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, was greeted by Montague who boasted that the area’s, “excellent service, surrounded by wonderful people and great weather are marketable to international travellers and should create new developments in the parish”.

“We want the people to come in here so that all those houses surrounding us will get the Airbnb passengers, all of our shops and restaurants will get the business, and our taxi operators will get the business,” he said at a welcome ceremony.

But as the travel industry was, as Jamaicans like to say, “washing out its belly” for American Airlines, they were hit with a crushing blow. News had emerged that the airline was requesting expensive but crucial additional air navigation services to operate its aircraft to and from the airport. The November 5, 2022 date was off!

Tomorrow, in part two: What is to become now of Gordon “Butch” Stewart’s dream for Ian Fleming International?

In this 2024 file photo Captain Marc Coley (second left) and first officer Christie Schaeffer (left) present a model American Airlines plane to Transport Minister Daryl Vaz shortly after landing AA flight 4007 at Ian Fleming International Airport. Looking on approvingly are Member of Parliament for St Mary western Robert Montague (centre) and Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart (right) who is continuing the work of his father the late Gordon “ Butch” Stewart.

Arriving passengers Robert White (in front) and his brother Mark seem happy to be home via AA flight 4007, the airline’s first, to Ian Fleming International Airport St Mary in 2024,

Historic AA flight 4007 landing at Ian Fleming International Airport in Boscobel, St Mary, near Ocho Rios in 2024.

Gordon “Butch” Stewart… above all a patriot