KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, has asserted that “the Government’s short-sighted decision” to securitise future cash flow at the island’s two international airports to address fiscal demands, including the SPARK road programme, has “effectively mortgages the future of the next generation”.

Phillips made the assertion on May 13 during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

SPARK (Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network), is a $45 billion programme designed to rehabilitate over 660 roads across all 63 constituencies.

Phillips noted that the 2024–2025 securitisation has pledged government revenue from both the Norman Manley International Airport and Sangster International Airport, “fundamentally altering the incentive structure of airport governance for years to come”.

“The irony is stark; while airport funds are diverted to road works, the actual access to our airports and their logistical integration remain woefully suboptimal,” said Phillips.

“This securitisation creates a climate of future fiscal rigidity that we can ill afford. By grabbing these future concession cash flows today, Jamaica has severely restricted its future flexibility,” he continued.

The Opposition spokesman told the House that, “We now face intense pressure to protect airport revenue at any cost, a situation that threatens to distort sound, diagnostic policy”.

Phillips argued that while the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) maintains a public commitment to modernisation, the reality is a projected loss of nearly $200 million for this 2026/27 fiscal year, a staggering decline from the $600 million surplus recorded the year prior.

He noted that the AAJ has historically been a profitable entity, making this downward spiral all the more alarming.

He warned that “The long-term repercussions are grave: reduced leverage to renegotiate concession terms, pressure to hike fees, and a diminished ability to benefit from growing passenger growth numbers, since future flows are already well spoken for”.

“The central question is whether we have converted a future revenue stream into an asset that truly bolsters national productivity. Unless SPARK delivers measurable gains in logistics and transport, we have merely borrowed,” he stated.

Phillips pointed out that over the past year, “we witnessed embarrassing operational failures, including electrical maintenance issues that caused unscheduled closures and chaos for travellers”.

Insisting that maintenance protocols must be improved, he also pointed out that the hurricane disruptions of 2025 exposed this fragility, as damage to Sangster’s infrastructure crippled operations and revenue.

“While Norman Manley has seen some improvement, it remains commercially anaemic compared to its true potential. Ian Fleming remains strategically neglected, failing to mature into the regional gateway it was promised to be”.

Phillips proposed the creation of an Airport Economic Zones Policy to develop logistics, warehousing and support for perishable exports. “We must transform these terminals into genuine economic platforms,” he said.