4 months ago
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New five-year spending plans for Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston indicate that Jamaica’s two largest airports will invest more than US$200 million in their operations, starting in 2026.
Passenger fees will gradually increase over the period by 9.5 per cent in Montego Bay and by 57 per cent in Kingston, according to filings by the Mexican airport group that controls Norman Manley and Sangster International.
Pacific Airport Group, or GAP, recently released the information regarding the tariffs, as well as expenditures under its Capital Development Programme for the 2026-2030 period.
Sangster airport is a critical hub for Jamaica’s tourism sector, and has seen steady passenger growth in recent years. Kingston’s airport serves as a gateway for business travellers. The planned investments are expected to support continued expansion, improve service delivery, and align the facilities with international standards.
According to GAP, the first tranche of a revised five-year capital development programme in Montego Bay will encompass investments of US$38.4 million in 2026; US$39.4 million in 2027, US$18.4 million in 2028; US$11.6 million in 2029; and US$10.3 million in 2030 – totalling US$85.2 million.
In Kingston, the planned expenditure over the five-year span amounts to US$118.1 million – broken down as US$45.6 million in 2026; 23.4 million in 2027; US$3.89 million in 2028; US$7.9 million in 2029; and US$4.3 million in 2030.
The announcement follows the conclusion of GAP’s review process with Jamaican authorities, which also approved a new schedule of maximum passenger tariffs. In Montego Bay, these charges will gradually increase from US$17.38 per passenger in 2026 to US$19.07 by 2030. In Kingston, these fees will rise from US$38.18 per passenger in 2026 to US$60.10 in 2030.
From January to May, Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay processed 2.16 million passengers, representing a 5.7 per cent decline year-on-year. Kingston processed 729,500 total passengers, or 9.3 per cent higher, year-on-year. The numbers include both arriving and departing travellers.
The GAP release did not disclose the specific projects planned for implementation during the 2026-2030 period.
At Norman Manley International, a series of projects are either under way or in the process of being rolled out, a programme that encapsulates US$161 million of spending, according to its operating company. GAP operates Norman Manley through PAC Kingston Airport Limited and Sangster’s through MBJ Airports Limited.
The Norman Manley capex plan, last outlined by PAC Kingston in mid-June, related to a different but overlapping five-year period than the one in the GAP filing. PAC Kingston’s list included the US$72-million RESA or Runway End Safety Area project that started in 2024 and is due for completion by 2027; Apron slab rehabilitation being done jointly with the Airports Authority of Jamaica, and taxiway rehabilitation, both starting August 2025; Solar energy expansion, second phase, under way and due for completion in December 2025; departure lounge upgrade and elevators and escalators upgrade, timelines to be set; and terminal enhancement projects, inclusive of a modernised Customs hall. Some elements of the terminal projects have been completed, inclusive of the upgraded baggage handling system with new scanning technology.
As for Sangster International’s programme, MBJ Airport is hosting a forum today, Wednesday, to outline its plans.
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