Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Fahie details $158M improvement plan for Beef Island Airport

Fahie details $158M improvement plan for Beef Island Airport

The BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) is presently working on a $158 million Capital Improvement Programme (CIP) that will completely transform the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport into a modern facility by 2025.

Delivering his address in the House of Assembly on Thursday, Premier Andrew Fahie said the programme will include improvements to the runway, taxiway, aircraft parking, terminal, car park and roadway. He said the designs for the project is expected to commence by October 2021.

He said the project would “permit tourists and investors to fly non-stop to the BVI not just from San Juan, but from anywhere in North America or western Europe such as New York, Toronto and London, just to name a few cities”.

“This programme must be our top priority for the territory and your government aims to ensure this,” Fahie stated.

Investment in airport projected to quickly payoff


Premier Fahie also said the CIP will require financial support from the central government but added that a preliminary Economic Impact Study showed that government’s investment into the project will quickly pay off.

He said: “The estimated number of jobs created by the airport directly and indirectly across the Virgin Islands is expected to multiply fivefold, from approximately 2,700 in 2019 to over 14,000 jobs in 2030. Correspondingly, as a result of the new airport improvements, the BVI tax revenues driven by the airport’s existence is forecast to rise from an estimated $12.6 million in 2019 to $61.7 million by 2030.”

“Looking to the future because of these airports and increased traffic, the British Virgin Islands Airports Authority is forecast to be operating at a surplus by 2028, no longer having to be subsidised by the central government as it has been over the many years. But first we must make the investment in the Capital Improvement Programme,” he added.

Additional $5 million injection needed annually


Fahie who is also the Minister of Finance further said the government will now have to pump millions of dollars of additional funds into BVIAA’s normal budget due to losses suffered by the organisation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s important to point out that even without the new airport improvements, the loss of passenger and air cargo traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic will require your government to infuse about $5 million a year in the airport Authority’s operating budget beginning next year,” he said.

“This does not include further government assistance for capital expenditures and technology and service innovations that must be made even as we await the opening of the new airport in 2026. The above $5 million annual infusion to the airport’s operating budget also does not include our commitment to Virgin Gorda to pave the runway there,” Fahie further stated.

More initiatives to come


Premier Fahie also revealed other plans the BVIAA has to further boost future revenues at the airport. He said the initiatives have so far included the issuance of two Request for Proposals (RFPs).

“One for the development of a new world-class fixed based operation to handle the many private and business jets that fly into Terrence B Lettsome and another for the development and operation of a commercial aircraft fueling operation for that airport,” the Premier said.

The two projects are anticipated to be operational by the end of 2021.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×