BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – A major expansion project at the Vance W. Amory International Airport in Nevis will begin early next year.
The announcement was recently made by the Minister of Tourism on the island of Nevis, Mark Brantley, during a press conference. He said financing related to the runway expansion has been secured through a funding mechanism with the Federal Government.
“In terms of the financing on it, I’m hopeful that by the time I get to the Budget discussions, I’ll be able to announce concrete plans on the funding, but I can say that we are satisfied that we should be able to commence this project very early in 2025
“Even if we have to do this project in phases, ultimately, we have secured the financing to deal with the runway expansion, which we call the airside facilities, through the assistance of Prime Minister [Dr. Terrance] Drew in St. Kitts for the necessary land acquisition.”
The expansion will involve extending the runway in both directions- toward Nisbet Plantation and Hurricane Hil- to accommodate larger commercial and private aircraft.
“So planes now can go right up under Hurricane Hill during take off, giving them far more length of runway to maneuver. With that, we can accommodate the Embraer Commercial aircraft that American Airlines is now operating from Miami into Anguilla, for example, directly from Miami and fully loaded.
“Remember that that is our target market, private jet traffic. Hopefully, we can get American Airlines to come directly from Miami and get regional traffic into our airport. That’s the ambition at this point,” Brantley said.
He added that the expanded airport will be a vital asset for all of Nevis, significantly improving the island’s economy and enhancing global connectivity.
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