Business as Usual at Norman Manley International Airport

The Management at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) is assuring the public that the airport is open for business, following a freak accident on Sunday (December 18).

Senior Director, Commercial Planning and Development for the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ)/NMIA, Alfred McDonald, told JIS News that operations at the airport were not affected by the incident, which took place shortly after 7:00 a.m.

He explained that someone who was at curbside check-in attempted to move a vehicle and accidentally drove the car into the check-in area near to one of the main drum doors.

According to Mr. McDonald, it was later discovered that the driver of the vehicle was found to not be a holder of a driver’s licence and, as such, not authorised to operate the vehicle.

“This action on the part of the person who was operating the vehicle at the time caused significant damage. The driver himself was hurt as well as two persons who were sitting in the check-in hall, thankfully not seriously,” he said.

He said that when the accident occurred, the airport’s emergency response teams were deployed immediately.

“Our operations and emergency teams assessed the matter and cordoned off the area and ensured that the persons who were affected were attended to and that the accident scene was secure,” he explained.

Mr. McDonald added that although the accident scene was an area of attention, regular airport operations continued.

The Director said a temporary structure has been erected and that the glass will be replaced shortly, so that the airport infrastructure can be back in place.

He added that despite the inconvenience, the airport remains open for business with minimal impact.