Upgrades under way to handle traffic at Sangster Int’l

WESTERN BUREAU:

WITH THE Sangster International Airport expected to welcome a record five million visitors this year by December, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz says he is satisfied with the ongoing efforts to expand the Montego Bay-based facility to accommodate the anticipated flow of traffic for the upcoming winter tourist season.

Vaz made the declaration on Thursday following a familiarisation tour of the airport along with representatives of Montego Bay Jamaica Airports Limited [MBJ], which manages the facility.

The tour was held to review logistics and operations at Sangster International Airport, in light of negative reports relating to incoming and outgoing passenger traffic and the lengthy wait-times experienced by travellers.

“With the winter tourist season coming on December 15, it is obviously a priority to make sure that we minimise the wait time for both departing and incoming passengers, especially our returning residents for the Christmas, and, of course, our tourist industry,” Vaz said.

“I am satisfied with the plans in relation to MBJ, how they are going to roll out the expansion of the airport itself in terms of additional square footage in critical areas, and of course access to the airport from the major thoroughfare, which is also very important, which will allow for free flow, both in terms of vehicular traffic and human passenger traffic,” Vaz explained.

“We are expecting a record of five million passengers at MBJ for this year, which is absolutely fantastic in terms of the economic value to the country, but at the same time we must remember that this is the first point and the first impression of incoming passengers and outgoing passengers, and we must make it an enjoyable experience,” the minister continued.

“We are fully aware of peak season and what it brings with it in terms of increased traffic, but we must meet industry standards in terms of the processing time, and that goes from arrival, when you are departing the aircraft, to when you are entering your vehicle on the curb-side,” Vaz added.

Expansion projects

Ongoing expansion projects at the airport include enlargement of its roadway and parking facilities to allow for greater flow of vehicular traffic, as well as installation of self-service kiosks and biometric machines to reduce passengers’ wait-times for their flights.

Shane Munroe, the chief executive officer of MBJ, outlined several other projects which are now under way to further improve the conveniences for the airport’s users and facilitate the anticipated volume of arrivals into Jamaica.

“With that increase in traffic, we are working assiduously on several improvements to reduce congestion and to improve the passenger flow, including expanding the check-in area. That is work that is going to commence shortly, but in advance of the Christmas season, we are taking out certain concessions that we are going to convert into operational space for passenger circulation,” said Munroe.

“We are doing a lot of work on the roadway, and we are splitting the traffic that enters the airport into two separate loops, arrivals and departures. People who are dropping off passengers will not need to go to the arrivals area, and that is going to take just about 50 per cent of the traffic off the arrivals curb. Again, the goal here is to improve the circulation on the airport,” Munroe explained.

The ongoing expansion follow the Sangster International Airport’s $10.9 billion runway expansion project, which began in 2022 and was completed on August 12 this year. That project included realignment work on sections of the nearby Kent Avenue and the creation of a new entrance linked to the Montego Bay Bypass.

In the meantime, Vaz pointed out that the upcoming upgrades will take into account the amount of passenger traffic during weekend arrivals and departures in the winter season.

“In the peak hours between 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., especially on weekends, especially with the season coming up, you’re talking about between 25 and 30 aircraft landing here, of different sizes and passenger loads that have to be processed within that window. Obviously we have to make sure that we put in place measures to make that as free and easy as possible,” said Vaz.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com