![]() The new eastern concourse of the Sangster International Airport (SIA) (the result of phases 1A and 1B) was officially opened in December 2005. Since January 2001, plans have been executed to expand the airport to the status of a world-class airport. The management and partners of the airport have been trying to seek passengers from Asia, but the project stalled in 2010. Over the years, the upgrading process was a continuous one, ultimately the facility had grown into the larger of the three international airports in Jamaica, handling approximately 3.7 million passengers per annum in 2007, and had seen an increase in passenger and aircraft movement in 2009. The original terminal was built and opened on 7 July 1959, with a capacity to accommodate 500 passengers per hour, and parking for seven aircraft at a time. the plans for the new terminal building was part of what turned out to be a continued upgrading and restructuring of the facility, to enable it to cope with the growth in traffic. Plans for the construction of a new terminal at its present location, on the southern side of the runway, were announced in July 1955. One of the most noticeable differences was that initially, the terminal building was on the northern side of the runway but was shifted to the southern side of the runway during one of the several upgrading exercises that took place at that facility, which was necessitated by the growth in air traffic over the years. However, the Sangster International Airport, as it is known today, is nothing like it was in the early days. The first international airline to fly into the Montego Bay Airport was Pan American Airways (which eventually became Pan Am), and the airport, which in comparison to today's standards was more like a small aerodrome, was operated by Pan American until 30 September 1949, when the Jamaican government took control of the facility. At the time of its completion, the town of Montego Bay was more like a playground for the rich and famous, and was considered then, one of the premier vacation spots within the Caribbean, just as it is today. ![]() Originally named the Montego Bay Airport, a decision was made to build the runway in 1940, and the actual construction of the facility was completed on 18 February 1947. James, was first conceived in 1936 when the site now housing the Sangster International Airport was identified as one suitable for the construction of an airport in the town of Montego Bay. Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. An Air Canada aircraft landing at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, 2009
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |