Work on First Phase of NMIA Capital Development Programme to Begin this Year

Construction work on Phase 1A of the Norman Manley International Airport’s three-phased, 20-year Capital Development Programme is slated to commence later this year.
In an interview with JIS News, Earl Richards, President of the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) informed that all the major expansion works that have been taking place at the airport over the past 15 months are part of this development plan, and provided an update on development works at the facility.
“We have just completed a reorganisation of the access road in front of the terminal building and this is expected to provide a better throughput and accommodation of the traffic,” Mr. Richards stated.In addition, new elevators have been installed, and the curbside of the terminal building has been extended to better facilitate drop-off of outbound passengers, with a similar modification for the passenger pick-up zone at the Arrivals area.
The main Ticketing Concourse was also expanded. However, Mr. Richards informed that there is need for further expansion in the vicinity of the Pre-Security Screening area “to accommodate more airlines by the end of August”.
“That area has been decommissioned for some time and it is now hoarded and therefore generally inaccessible. We are going to be doing major demolition in that area to remove certain structures, which will eventually be replaced in a few months with new construction, which will have the general configuration and architecture of the major components to come later this year,” he said.
In preparation for the commencement of work on the Capital Development Project, check-in facilities and administrative offices for some airlines are being relocated, and the former Waving Gallery (now closed to the public) is also to be reconfigured to accommodate the airport clientele who will be impacted by the relocation requirements.
Recognising that at various stages of the development works, there will be periods of inconvenience to all airport users, Mr. Richards assured that steps were being taken to minimise any disruption and dislocation to passengers, as well as to airport clientele and workers.
“We certainly will not be creating dislocation in areas where we don’t need to, so, in consultation with the airlines, we are ensuring that the dislocation is kept to a minimum. We are endeavouring to ensure that there is adequate information in the form of signs, whether directional or about the project itself, and we will continue to do so on a day-to-day basis,” Mr. Richards told JIS News.”We will try to keep construction activity to a minimum during the peak periods during the day,” he added.
According to the AAJ President, the expansion and upgrading work has been progressing smoothly, however, the re-introduction of outgoing immigration screening/processing at the airport, has caused some discomfort for the travelling public. In response to this, and in anticipation of the hectic summer season, the AAJ has implemented measures to minimise this discomfort.
“What we have done in conjunction with the immigration authorities is to facilitate the addition of three more immigration processing booths, and these are now in place and operational and that, together with other adjustments that we have made to the queuing arrangements has really helped to reduce the impact on the crowding and congestion,” he said.
The Capital Development Project, which commenced in 2003, will result in the investment of US$127.1 million in infrastructural expansion and upgrade over a 20-year period. The cost of the first phase of the programme is estimated at approximately $161 million. To date, approximately $100 million of that sum has been spent on improvement projects.