By Brian Major From Travel Pulse

Cayman Islands tourism stakeholders are progressing quickly on infrastructure projects to accommodate the country’s surging visitor arrivals.

The government is nearing completion of a $55 million redevelopment launched in 2015, addressing frequent overcrowding at the outdated Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) as the territory’s visitor numbers grew this decade.

The completed upgrades have already significantly expanded a facility that launched commercial operations in 1952 with a modest terminal and a 5,000-foot runway. The airport’s terminal building will be 2.7 times larger than the existing building, providing room for future expansion, said Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism and Transport officials after they toured in late November.

As part of the phased redevelopment, American Airlines, British Airways and Southwest Airlines moved into the newly expanded check-in area during late November. Other airlines are scheduled to follow in January. A significant section of a new arrivals hall will open the same month.

“We are very excited that half of the new arrivals hall will be ready to open after the holidays,” said Albert Anderson, Cayman Islands Airports Authority CEO, “allowing passengers arriving from January 9 onwards to be processed by Immigration and Customs and collect baggage in a new location.”

The redevelopment is scheduled to be fully complete in December and ameliorate long-standing inconveniences that have plagued the facility.

“When completely finished, this area will be three times larger than what we have now, which even during peak times will enable all arriving passengers to be accommodated inside, away from the elements, while they wait to be processed,” Anderson said.

Moses Kirkconnell, the Cayman Islands’ Minister of Tourism—who has been a longtime advocate and supporter of the airport redevelopment—called the redevelopment an “incredible transformation” that will comfortably facilitate the needs of our growing air arrivals.”

The Cayman Islands’ air arrivals are expected to continue growing as the destination adds new flights. In July, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) announced Southwest Airlines’ launch of daily nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Owen Roberts International Airport.

“This launch helped to set the stage for what we can only hope will be the first of many more memorable visits to our shores,” said Mrs. Rosa Harris, Cayman Islands’ director of tourism.

When complete, the redeveloped ORIA terminal will increase from 76,000 square feet to 208,000 square feet, said Kirkconnell: “To put that into perspective, the arrivals area will be three times the [current] size and departures will be five times larger than what we have now.”

Given that construction will be ongoing throughout the high season, the Ministry and Department of Tourism will continue to work with stakeholders to manage passenger expectations through this period of disruption, Kirkconnell added:

“Generally speaking, feedback has been positive and travelers are very understanding of our efforts to maintain a functioning airport amidst the construction.”

IMAGE: PHOTO: Rosa Harris (with microphone), Cayman Islands director of tourism. (photo by Brian Major)

For more on this story go to: https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/cayman-islands-airport-is-almost-ready.html