Caribbean News
AAJ Continuing Work to Further Develop Jamaica’s Airports and Aerodromes
#Kingston, Jamaica, June 18, 2024 – The Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) will, this year, continue work critical to the long-term planning and development of the island’s international airports and aerodromes.
The entity will maintain oversight for investments being undertaken at the two largest airports, Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
This, with a view to ensuring that targetted improvements in infrastructure and service delivery are attained.
With strong international traveller throughput at both airports, passenger flows recovered to pre-pandemic levels during fiscal year 2023/24, and sustained growth is anticipated over the medium term.
During 2023/24, Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) marked a significant milestone when it welcomed the inaugural flight of American Airlines.
Efforts will continue this Budget year to further enhance scheduled flights and expand other services at the airport.
Details of these and other AAJ programmed engagements are contained in the Jamaica Public Bodies Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Fiscal Year ending March 2025.
To bolster the expansion of aviation activities at the IFIA, the AAJ will also continue initiatives aimed at establishing a fixed base operator and introducing concessions for food, beverage and other retail services at the facility.
The domestic aerodromes are important to the national air transportation network and will continue to be operated and maintained in a manner that ensures compliance with regulatory standards.
Consequently, efforts to renovate and enhance the aerodromes to meet these requirements will continue throughout the year.
Meanwhile engagements such as land acquisition and the development of a master plan will be undertaken as part of the ongoing efforts to reinstate aviation operations at Vernamfield in Clarendon.
To further support the sustainable growth and development of the air transport sector and Jamaica’s economy, the AAJ will continue efforts to facilitate the establishment of a scholarship programme to assist with the training of pilots, aircraft mechanics and airport operations personnel.
The entity anticipates that the programme will facilitate training for 14 Jamaican youth during the year.
AAJ forecasts a profit of $10.5 million from its programmed activities and a projected increase in their staff complement to 108.
The AAJ was established under the Airports Authority Act of 1974 and has the primary responsibility of managing and operating Jamaica’s international airports and domestic aerodromes.
It plays a pivotal role in advising the Government on policy matters related to air transportation.
AAJ is committed to crafting a modern, secure and financially viable airport network through its ongoing long-term planning and development efforts.
Sangster International Airport and Norman Manley International Airport are operated under separate concession agreements with MBJ Airports Limited and PAC Kingston Airport Limited, respectively,
AAJ retains ownership of both airports and has responsibility for overseeing and administering the concession agreements.
Contact: Britney Stevens
Release: JIS
Castries, March 2025. Saint Lucia has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring human rights for all.
This was the collective assertion, as over 20 national stakeholders participated in a two-day national Human Rights workshop. This initiative was hosted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Caribbean office, in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s satellite office in Saint Lucia, and the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs. 
The workshop, was designed to enhance awareness of the International Human Rights System, including treaty bodies and human rights mechanisms; build capacity of government officials and civil society members in data gathering and human rights reporting; and to highlight the role that respective agencies and their constituents play within this system. The Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs is the focal agency for Human Rights in Saint Lucia.
In welcoming participants, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, noted that advancing human rights was a shared responsibility. “Government must enact policies and safeguard rights. Civil society must continue to advocate and mobilize. The private sector must embrace inclusive practices. Communities must challenge discrimination and uphold the dignity of every individual,” She urged stakeholders to use the workshop as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and commit to concrete action that will make human rights a lived reality for all in Saint Lucia. “Together, we can build a society, where justice, equality and inclusion are not just aspirations but everyday realities”, she stated.
A key objective of the workshop was to reactivate and strengthen the capacity of Saint Lucia’s National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights, which was established by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2019. The Ministry of External Affairs serves as the Chair and Secretariat of the Committee, which comprises representatives from various government ministries. The committee is responsible for analyzing the human rights situation at the national level and collaborates to report on recommendations aligned with Saint Lucai’s national priorities. The active
functioning of the National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights is crucial for promoting and protecting human rights.
Reflecting on the utility of the workshop, Ms. Bynta Ernest, the representative from the Department of Gender Affairs on the National Human Rights Committee noted that the session was essential to the Committee’s revitalization and to demonstrating its importance in advancing human rights in Saint Lucia. “The practical sessions towards reporting on the recommendations from the last Universal periodic Review (UPR) were also very useful to kick-start the process towards meeting our October 2025 UPR reporting deadline,” she added.
In fulfillment of Saint Lucia’s human rights related reporting obligations and deadlines, workshop participants prepared a draft plan of action to devise next steps to advance Saint Lucia’s human rights agenda.
The workshop was held at the Harbor Club Hotel, from March 5-6, 2025. Participants included representatives from departments of External Affairs, Health, Education, Labor, Justice, Human Services, Gender Affairs, Immigration, Equity, Economic Development, the National Statistical Office, the Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs
2nd insert: Bynta Ernest, Gender Affairs
Kingston, Jamaica, March 10, 2025 – The Government has significantly increased investments in healthcare and should another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hit the island, the country will be better equipped to deal with it, according to Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Speaking at the unveiling of a monument in honour of healthcare workers who died while tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, today (March 10), at the National Chest Hospital in St. Andrew, the Prime Minister said out of a commitment to strengthen the healthcare system and to strengthen the healthcare workforce, the Government instituted the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship in 2024.
“We are investing $2.5 billion to support 607 students pursuing studies in medical technology, nursing, biomedical engineering, and other critical health-related fields,” he said, adding that the fund is ensuring the building of a robust pipeline of professionals “dedicated to service in the health sector.
“This is a solid commitment of how the Government is dealing with building resilience in the system, supporting our professionals, and at the same time ensuring that we can deliver healthcare with care,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that while July has been earmarked to recognise the “selfless contribution of those who carried us through the crisis, more needs to be done”.
“Our appreciation cannot be confined to a single month or a single event. It must be reflected in how we value and support our healthcare professionals every single day. To the families of the fallen, I know that no words can fill the space left, especially for your loved ones,” Dr.
Holness said.
The Prime Minister underscored that the legacies of the healthcare workers live on in the patients they treated, the lives they touched, and now in the monument that has been erected.
“Let us commit to a Jamaica where those who dedicate their lives to caring for others are themselves cared for. Let us also commit to upholding the values these healthcare workers have embodied – care, compassion, resilience and unity. In their action and sacrifice, they made a choice,” the Prime Minister said.
March 10 marks the fifth anniversary since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the country, and the fourth year since the start of the recovery with the administration of vaccines.
Contact: Garfield L. Angus
Release: JIS
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