EDITORIAL - Airport upgrades needed

The Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) has undergone a number of changes in its lifetime, and reports that further work to upgrade the island’s lone airport could get started in the second quarter of next year is good news, as Barbados certainly must not be left behind as it relates to a modern aviation structure.

 

As the only aviation hub of the Eastern Caribbean which handles daily flights to and from neighbouring Caribbean islands, and connecting them to major cities across the world, the GAIA is ripe for further development, especially as other countries in the region seek to upgrade their services. If we do not face the fact that we must take the airport into the modern age, other countries in the Eastern Caribbean – who are intent on improving their services – could surpass Barbados and assume our coveted place.  

 

The reality is that the last major expansion and renovation of the airport – which saw two terminals created, one for arrivals and the other for departures – was completed about a decade ago. And even when it was done, there could be no denying that there were some issues that should have been addressed that had not been. Some would suggest that the failure to provide jet bridges is one of those shortfalls, and the glaring reminder of their absence is seen each and every time the rain falls and passengers have to make their way down steps, armed with umbrellas, to board a bus, which will take them to the arrivals hall.

 

So it is hoped that all the deficits seen then and now will be addressed in the pending work, which Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy said is expected to exceed US $120 million. That is a lot of money to spend, and so it is important that the relevant authorities get it right as it will likely be another decade or so before additional resources can be found and allocated for upgrades again. But, given the increasing airlift resulting in more passengers out of the traditional and non-traditional source markets coming here, it is imperative that the airport can improve the overall experience for passengers and adequately cater to and accommodate any projections for passenger arrivals, including those who are in transit.

 

Earlier this year Minister Sealy revealed that the airport would be embracing technology, with the introduction of new passport reading machines as well as two-sided scanners to more efficiently process the around two million people who pass through its doors on an annual basis. He noted then that in addition to expanding the departure area for the regional carriers, they were looking at providing much needed jet bridges which would allow passengers, including those who are wheelchair bound, to embark and disembark the various aircraft with greater ease, and not be subjected to the elements. 

 

Then just this weekend as he welcomed yet another new flight to the island, the Tourism Minister said that the work would also include the resurfacing of the runway, the construction of a new tower, the expansion of the terminals, taxiways and parking aprons, and the provision of hangar space for private aircraft landing in Barbados, which no doubt will be welcomed by the rich and famous who travel here in their own aircraft.

 

It is also hoped that in addition to the employment opportunities that that construction will bring, that the finished product will also facilitate the employment of even more people. This could either be directly through Customs, Immigration and the airlines, or by way of the concessionaires who may be granted more commercial space to ply their trade.