Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

New BVIAA boss laying foundation to improve local airports

New BVIAA boss laying foundation to improve local airports

Exactly one month after being appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA), Kurt Menal said it has been an educational period for him, but he sees the potential in his staff, the airport, and in the territory and is dispensing significant energy in laying the foundation to pivot the airports in a new era.

In an exclusive interview with BVI News, Menal said his experience in managing small to medium airports have uniquely positioned him to adapt to the BVI given its airports’ system and the uniqueness of territory as a destination.

“My regional perspective has proven to me that it takes different and adaptable strategies to manage airports in the Caribbean as compared to the intricacies of running a larger facility like Heathrow [London] as an example. The dynamics, economics and culture are different,” Menal told our news centre.

Local airports will be run like profit centres


The new MD mentioned he is driven to prove the airports are more than just cost centres where aircraft land and take off.

“The modern approach is for them to be run as profit centres and strategic commercial businesses. This approach aligned with master plans that include the infrastructural and systemic development of the airport which will position destination BVI to realize the economic benefit of the trickle-down or catalytic impact of focused airport management,” he added.

Diagnosis of BVIAA


Menal also said he has spent significant time along with capable staff to undertake a comprehensive diagnosis of the BVIAA as an entity in all aspects. He refuses to jump to conclusions as his approach is based on verifiable data with a view to aligning all future plans with the vision of sustainable development.

“The results of our assessment will be aligned to international benchmarks as all functional and administrative areas will be reviewed to determine priorities moving forward. The intention ultimately is to run the BVIAA as a business moving towards profitability. The inherent capacity of the airport estates must be optimised to promote revenue generation and overall commercial development,” the MD continued.

He maintained the connectivity of airports is key in BVI’s development as a tourism and business destination. However, what he described as catalytic effects is often low among stakeholders.

He intends to change and introduce airport development and management as a key component in the conversation surrounding national development.

A modern view


Back in January, Premier Andrew Fahie mentioned Menal would assist with the training of the staff at the BVIAA and the MD said he is taking a modern view on human resource management.

He will focus on talent development, employee engagement and overall organisation-wide performance management.

“The long-term development of the organisation is being viewed in a framework of capacity building in the national context from the standpoint of the introduction of exposure to careers in aviation from the primary and tertiary level.

Competency matrix for BVIAA


The intention is to develop partnerships with institutions to attract qualified talent that can be developed in the field of airport and aviation management,” Menal told our news centre.

“In the coming weeks, a comprehensive talent assessment of the organisation will be undertaken with a view to developing a competency matrix for the BVIAA. This will inform our assessment and management of the capabilities or competencies that currently exist and the gaps that need to be filled,” he continued.

Menal said the BVIAA has talented resources and with the right guidance, the future of the airports will be guaranteed.

The BVIAA’s future now lies in the hand of a man passionate about the aviation industry along with a cadre of experience operating airports.

Menal said his intention is to balance the imperatives of safety, efficiency, commercial viability and financial prudence.

He said he is tapped into the Airports Council International (ACI) network and will use this to align with international best practices and adapt these to the local and regional context to advance the unique tourism product that is the BVI.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×