The Jamaican government will be giving early consideration to extending the concession agreement under which the Sangster Airport is managed.
The concession, lasting 30 years, is due to expire by 2034.
The Montego Bay-based airport is operated by MBJ Airport Limited, which is owned 75 per cent by GAP, or Pacific Airport Group, of Mexico and 25 per cent by Vantage Group of Canada.
Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz said at the Sangster Airport Forum on Wednesday that waiting until the final years of the contract to make a determination could discourage investment in the facility.
“Investment slows down as the end approaches, while MBJ’s competitors [would be] alive and well,” Vaz said at the forum hosted by MBJ Airport.
The minister will be setting up an enterprise team to handle the talks.
Vaz said major infrastructure projects often take five years for returns to start flowing. The Jamaican government wants to secure continued investment without delay, so it plans to negotiate now with MBJ, rather than wait for contract expiry and then having to re-tender it through procurement, he said.
The forum spotlighted MBJ Airport’s plans for capital projects at Sangster International worth US$118 million over the next five-year horizon, dating from 2026 to 2030.
CEO Shane Munroe detailed key developments, including an expanded arrivals lounge, more gates at the east concourse, upgraded customs and baggage claim areas, new security systems, and fire trucks.
Since the pandemic, MBJ Airport has invested US$26 million in runway expansion, taxiway improvements, and terminal upgrades.
GAP — MBJ’s parent company — entered the Jamaican market in 2003. It expanded in 2019 by adding Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston to its portfolio, through concession holder PAC Kingston Airport Limited.
Sangster International is Jamaica’s main gateway for tourists and air travel in general.
Between January and May, Sangster processed 2.16 million passengers, down 5.7 per cent from the same period last year. Norman Manley International Airport processed 729,500 passengers, up 9.3 per cent, based on data from GAP.