Business Enquirer Issue 118 | Argyle International Airport | Oct'23

NEW AIRPORT SUPPORTS

POST-PANDEMIC TOURISM RECOVERY IN THE CARIBBEAN

ARGYLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NEW AIRPORT SUPPORTS POST-PANDEMIC TOURISM RECOVERY IN THE CARIBBEAN

In 2022, visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines increased by 160,000 to around 221,0001. Whilst this is not the highest footfall that the Caribbean Island has seen in the last five years (peaking at 404,000 in 2019), it is seeing positive post-pandemic recovery.

In response to the growing air traffic needs which St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ E.T. Joshua Airport could no longer accommodate, Argyle International Airport (AIA) was commissioned in February 2017.

Built to handle 1.2 million passengers per year, the airport, which is the newest airport in the Eastern Caribbean, boasts a 9000 foot long runway and an expansive apron area, which facilitates aircraft ranging from twin otters to large commercial jets.

Five times the size of its predecessor, AIA is considered one of the country’s most important infrastructure assets and a key economic driver for the island nation.

ARGYLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PROJECT

DIRECTED BY: GARY SMITH ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

The development of the new airport was financed through grants and loans and via the “Coalition of Willing” initiative. The initiative saw donations and other forms of in kind assistance and contributions from countries such as: Cuba, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Austria, Malaysia, Turkey, Qatar, Libya, and Taiwan.

The AIA was constructed under the direction of the International Airport Development Company Ltd. (IADC), a private, limited liability Company, owned by the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at a final cost of approximately XCD$700 million.

1 https://www. statista.com/statistics/816515/saint-vincent-and-the-grenadines-number-of-tourist-arrivals/#:~:text=Vincent%20%26%20 the%20Grenadines%20 2010%2D2022&text=In%20 2022%2C%20the%20number%20of,with%20less%20 than%2060%20thousand.

Construction of the 275 acre development commenced in 2008, with IADC overcoming several challenges, including the removal of two mountains that stood where the primary entrance of the runway is located. In addition, redevelopment of the land saw the filling of two valleys and the rerouting of a major river, as well as the relocation of Argyle Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery, and the relocation and compensation 135 homeowners,

February 14th 2023 saw AIA celebrate its sixth anniversary, in which time the airport has seen many achievements. Most recently, it became a member of

the Airports Council International (ACI). The ACI is responsible for representing the interests of airport operators in Latin America and the Caribbean, focussing on safety, security, and sustainability.

Launching operations in 2017, AIA was faced with, like the rest of the world, the Covid-19 pandemic. However, meanwhile, AIA was confronted with an additional challenge - the eruption of the island’s La Soufrière volcano on 8th April 2021.

To understand the scale of the eruption, 16,000 people were evacuated with the United Nations highlighting a “crisis within

the Covid crisis”. Being completely covered in ash, the incident saw operations at AIA come to an immediate, and at the time, indefinite halt.

AIA coordinated a full scale “clean-up” spearheaded of the airport by its Building and Civil Engineering Department, which was supported by the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering department, the Ground Handling team, the Security and Operations teams, and AIA’s Administration team. Highlighting the importance of AIA’s economic input, the clean up also received support from the state-owned agency BRAGSA (The Roads Buildings and General Services Authority of St. Vincent and the Grenadines), as well as from the private sector.

Thanks to these efforts, AIA saw exceptional results. A total of 2,195 cubic feet of ash was removed from the airside and another 175 cubic feet from the landside. Excellent teamwork, commitment and sheer hard work by the AIA was able to return the facility to regular, safe operations within two weeks of the volcano’s eruption.

This is a clear example of AIA’s mission to: deliver high quality aviation services by providing customer focused and efficient operations through industry best practices with an innovative and dedicated team committed to ensuring the mission and vision of AIA is kept.

The airport has also implemented efforts to support the local community, including accommodating tours of the airport (pre-security), an initiative which has extended to schools and holiday programs to encourage education in the aviation sector.

Local students in secondary and Tertiary level education have also had the opportunity to gain understanding from research on the airport during construction phases.

As it moves into the future, AIA is investing into enhancing efficiencies. Most recently it has invested into some new environmentally-friendly equipment, including two stairs and a push-back truck.

www.svg-airport.com

Argyle International Airport terminals

Executive Air prides itself of being a full service regional Air charter company. Headquartered in Barbados,

An aerial view of Runway 04/22 at AIA, showing nearby low mountainous terrain west of the airport

Serving the Caribbean. On-time, reliable shipping.

- Refrigerated

- Dry goods

- LCL, small packages

- Consolidated

- Marine insurance

Tropical Shipping has served The Bahamas and Caribbean for 60 years. From Canada to South Florida, Tropical operates state-of-the-art facilities and equipment that provide on-time, reliable shipping. Everything we do is intended to deliver the highest level of service to our customers and the communities we serve, and Tropical prides itself on having the fastest transit times.

Our tagline, “Committed to IslandLife,” is more than just a phrase – we live it. We support the success of every island we serve, from cargo delivery that drives the local economy to giving back to youth and education organizations that empower future leaders.

We also continue invest in new equipment so we’re always at the top of our game. New vessels, strads, reefers, and technology allow Tropical to deliver excellent service: FCL, LCL and small package, refrigerated, dry goods, consolidation, and inland transportation. In short, from big to small, we ship it all.

Tropical Shipping 60-year success largely stems from three ideas: Shared Values, Ethics, and our Winning Proposition. Our values - trust, responsiveness, ownership, people, integrity, communication, accountability, and leadership – are the foundation of our relationships and guide everything we do. Adherence to ethics allows us to stand for everything that’s right in business. By respecting others, our employees create a better experience for our customers. Ethics binds our trusted relationships. Tropical’s winning propositions are created by enhancing our customers’ supply chain effectiveness with convenient and dependable logistics solutions.

Tropical Shipping is driven by excellence, and we are committed to our customers, our team, and the communities we serve. We are Committed to IslandLife.

www.tropical.com

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