Symmonds warns GAIA Board of difficult task ahead

MINISTER OF Tourism and International Transport Kerrie Symmonds has put the new Board of the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) Inc., on notice that they have their work cut out for them.

In addition to delivering the very best possible visitor experience that can be found anywhere in the Eastern Caribbean, Symmonds said the Board will be mandated to maximise the Airport’s commercial potential, and maintain the highest safety standards that can be achieved.

Speaking at GAIA’S 80TH anniversary logo launch yesterday, the Minister revealed that rehabilitation work will begin on the Airport’s runway, in a matter of months.

“The new Board will be entrusted with the responsibility of rolling out a programme of run way rehabilitation. The Federal Aviation Commission, indicates to us, that the expected life of a run way, is somewhere in the vicinity of 15 to 20 years. Suffice it to say, that the Grantley Adams International runway has now reached to a mature stage of its expected life existence.

“Therefore, urgent steps need to be taken, and will indeed be taken this year, in order to begin the process of rehabilitating the pavement work with respect to the runway. Now, it is anticipated that that work will begin towards the month of November of this year. Yes, we will be going into the winter season, but we will do it sensibly.

“We can deal with the western end of the runway, and we can deal with the eastern end of the runway, and you can do work at night, and as you come to the latter part of the winter season when traffic is not so heavy, you can do the middle part of the runway. But, the work must be done, and cannot be put off any longer,” he said.

The Minister also stressed that the new Board will also be mandated to pay attention to the expansion of regional lounge capacity. He alluded to the fact that people from the Eastern Caribbean must come to GAIA, whether it be to connect to another flight, or to stay on the island for a while to conduct business.

“They have no alternative than but to come here in order to do certain types of business. They come here, for example, in order to do business with the United States Embassy, and the Canadian Embassy. There is also the related commercial activity that brings people from the Eastern Caribbean.

“We have to understand that it is our duty as a hub to make sure that we don’t just have the aeronautical activity, but that we can offer folks from the region the most comfortable and the happiest possible visitor experience as they pass through this airport.

“That includes therefore, building out the necessary capacity to handle that traffic as it comes through. In a similar vein, we have to upgrade gate 14 and beyond. That is because, there is going to be substantial emphasis placed by this Government, on the issue of air to sea transfers, and cruise tourism in general,” he said.

The Minister noted that he was also keenly interested in ensuring that the Airport, and Barbados’ entire tourism product, is friendly towards the differently-abled community. He said this therefore means, “that we have got to stop procrastinating on the question of air bridges.

“We must move this country to a point where we can easily move people on and off of an aircraft by way of air bridge. And indeed, we have to be able to satisfy our differently-abled visitors, that they can be accommodated in all aspects of this airport experience,” he said, estimating that about five air bridges are needed at the Airport. (AH)