By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, June 6, 2022 – After years of anticipation the Providence International Airport (PLS) has officially broken ground for its 1.2 million dollar canopy. Described as the Gateway to the Islands by Member of Parliament for the area Rachel Taylor.
The Airports Authority groundbreaking ceremony held on May 23rd was attended by Premier Washington Misick; Deputy Governor Anya Williams; Tourism Minister Josephine Connolly and other Government Ministers.
Director of the Board Kyle Smith, who opened the ceremony acknowledged the ongoing issues at the airport including the long waits in the sun but said, “Today marks another step in alleviating the stress we face here at the airport.”
He assured the contractors (Crown Construction) that the board was supportive of them but would also hold them accountable.
“The ball is in your court to ensure that you deliver, follow and adhere to the contractual agreements, and that you are timely and the level of workmanship that you produce is quality.”
Crown Construction has just over 150 days to complete the canopy which will address concerns raised earlier this year when videos emerged of the long lines stretching outside the building.
Crosley Bain, Crown Construction suggested that a constant line of communication be kept open between new hotels and the TCIAA to ensure that any increased capacity would be manageable for the airport.
The canopy is not a permanent solution but will be exchanged for a state of the art terminal in a few years according to Taylor.
Deputy Governor Anya Williams described the increasing arrivals as a ‘good problem’.
While the arrivals were good she also acknowledged that the infrastructure hampered progress.
“This airport on any given Saturday accommodates over 20 international flights. We are faced with situations where we have airlines on the runway circling because they are waiting to park and planes circling in the air because they can’t land. I consider this a blessing because these people have chosen the Turks and Caicos but at the same time we owe our visitors a better travel experience.”
Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Immigration, with responsibility for the country’s ports of entry added, the canopy was doubly important because it was not just about providing shelter but about providing security as well he described the previous arrangement as having security risks that the canopy would deal with.
Selvyn Hawkins, Chairman of the Board of Governors maintained that ceremonies such as the groundbreaking which may seem to some as ‘applauding a fish for swimming’ were absolutely important.
“They’re important because they remind us of the value of the work that we do, they also force us to remain diligent with our work, particularly since we are a statutory body and are acting on behalf of the public, ensuring that we deliver with integrity and we deliver on time with projects that ought to serve the public.”
Premier Washington Misick explained that this project was ‘one of the biggest that the TCI would see in the next 25 years’ stressing that this was why the Government had to be ‘agile’ in its delivery.
Ground was also broken on April 26th for a new air traffic control tower and fire services terminal.