Stewart renews call for expansion of Boscobel airport

Hotel mogul Gordon "Butch" Stewart, is pressing the Government of Jamaica to extend the runway at Ian Fleming International Airport, at Boscobel, in the north eastern parish of St. Mary.

Speaking on Wednesday at a travel trade awards ceremony in Ocho Rios, Mr Stewart, Chairman of Sandals Resorts,  who has long been pushing for the extension of  the runway, described as "chicken feed money,"  the additional funds that would be required to accomplish the extension.

The idea of extending the runway to facilitate large commercial airliners has been mooted for sometime, but the extension would take the runway across the North Coast Highway, which currently runs alongside the airport.

He's suggesting that the traffice be routed under the the extended runway to facilitate the expansion.

Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeil, who was in attendance, said while such a project would be good, it is not a priority at this time for the government.

Pointing to the fact that work is proceeding apace to complete the section of Highway 2000 to link the tourist town of Ocho Rios with the capital city, Kingston, he said this would make the town readily accessible from the two main international airports - one in Kingston and the other in Montego Bay.

That, he said, would make it feasible to bring north coast bound tourists into the island through these two main gateways, instead of the current situation in which the overwhelming majority of tourists arrive through the Montego Bay gateway.

"It's going to open up the two airports, bringing them closer, so it's a great positive," he said.

In the meantime, Dr McNeil remains positive regarding the outlook for the winter tourist season.

Specifically in respect of airline capacity, he disclosed that there will be 1.2 million air seats available to take tourists to Jamaica during the period.

This is 15 per cent above the out turn for last year.