AAJ Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Church Service

Members of the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) family, led by President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Audley Deidrick, worshipped at Webster Memorial United Church in Kingston on September 1 as a part of the organisation’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The event was attended by Board members, airport stakeholders, representatives of the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Heads of agencies, staff members, family and friends.

The anniversary is being observed under the theme ‘Modernising and Growing Jamaica’s Airports Since 1974’, with a series of activities.

In his greetings during the service, Mr. Deidrick thanked the AAJ’s leaders, stakeholders and staff for their contributions over the past 50 years and expressed confidence in the entity’s continued success.

“We look forward to the future with great anticipation, continuing our commitment to serving Jamaica’s travel and tourism industry with excellence,” he said.

Mr. Deidrick pointed out that a 50th anniversary is a major milestone and a symbolic stage.

He compared it to a game of cricket, highlighting that the 50 mark is celebrated as a significant half-way mark towards the century. “It is a moment to reflect on how you could move from there to the 100, and it’s the same thing with us as an organisation. It has been 50 years of AAJ and over 100 years of the aviation industry in Jamaica, and we are proud of our achievements” Mr. Deidrick stated.

The AAJ used the opportunity to make a donation to Webster Memorial’s Eden Garden Social Services Centre for its outreach programme of providing meals to the homeless.

In his response, Senior Minister of the church, Rev. Astor Carlyle, thanked the AAJ for the contribution on behalf of the congregation.

He also thanked the Authority “on behalf of a grateful nation, for the tremendous work you do and role that you play in boosting our economy, in showing the world that Jamaica is a beautiful place and reminding our people of the gem that we need to secure in this island Jamaica”.

The AAJ, which commenced operations on September 1, 1974, was established as a self-financed statutory body on July 26 of that year, under the Airports Authority Act.

It was initially entrusted with the ownership, management and control of Jamaica’s two major international airports – Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) and Sangster International Airport (SIA).

The AAJ’s portfolio was eventually expanded to include the island’s domestic aerodromes – Tinson Pen, Ken Jones, Boscobel, and Negril.

In 2011, the Boscobel Aerodrome, after being upgraded, was renamed the Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA).