By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterTRANSPORT AND Works Minister Robert Pickersgill has said the recently commissioned 20-year comprehensive development plan for the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston has been completed.
Speaking at the Airport Authority of Jamaica's (AAJ) 30th anniversary dinner at the Hilton Kingston Hotel in New Kingston on Friday night, Mr. Pickersgill did not provide details of the plan, saying it would be made public soon, but noted that the plan would address the projected increase in air passenger traffic.
According to Mr. Pickersgill, in 1974, Jamaica's airports were servicing the needs of 1.6 million air passengers but by 2003, this figure had increased to 4.5 million and that number is expected to grow in coming years.
WORK PROGRESSING
He said construction work was progressing at the airport under a $191.2 million programme to upgrade the cargo area, while the departure concourse was being expanded at a cost of $161 million. Both projects are slated for completion by late 2005.
"These ongoing works will not only enable us to meet the projected growth curve for air travel but will also help the country to comfortably cope with particular requirements such as are expected with the hosting by the region of the World Cup cricket in 2007," Mr. Pickersgill said.
He announced a comprehensive analysis of the geological structure of the Palisadoes strip, which leads to the Norman Manley International Airport. The road was extensively damaged by storm surges during the passage of Hurricane Ivan.
He said the study would seek to determine the capacity of the road to withstand additional natural hazards.
During the function, 177 employees of the AAJ were awarded for periods ranging from five to 30 years of service to the Authority.
Fitzroy Bogie and Desmond Wedderburn were the only recipients of awards for 30 years of service to the organisation.
