The BVI Airports Authority recently received a boost that officials said will bring increased access to regional expertise and other perks.
During an Oct. 5-7 conference in Trinidad, the agency was appointed as a governing member of Airports Council International – Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC).
“This appointment is both an important recognition of the BVIAA’s achievements and a timely strategic opportunity for the Virgin Islands,” Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer said in a Friday statement announcing the appointment. “As we advance our runway extension and airport expansion programme, the strengthened regional ties and direct access to global expertise provided through ACI-LAC will help accelerate our efforts to deliver a modern, safe and internationally compliant airport.”
Under the new status, the BVIAA expects to benefit from additional technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and capacity-building programmes that strengthen local expertise in project management, procurement and operational readiness.
“These initiatives will inform the engineering, environmental mitigation and phased construction sequencing for upcoming runway extensions and terminal upgrades,” government stated in a press release. “The expanded access to regional partners and financing mechanisms is also expected to support timely and cost-effective project delivery.”
Mr. Rymer commended the leadership of BVIAA Managing Director Kurt Menal, who represented the agency at the ACI-LAC Annual Conference last week in Trinidad.
The Airports Council International represents the collective interests of airports worldwide, with more than 712 members operating 1,925 airports across 171 countries. Within this framework, ACILAC serves as the regional body for Latin America and the Caribbean.
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