Hewanorra International Airport. * SLASPA photo
CARIBBEAN JOURNAL – St. Lucia’s government is planning to allow its Hewanorra International Airport to be managed independently.
The country announced this week that a bill would be laid in Parliament to allow the airport to be run by an “independent entity” on the basis of competitive bidding.
“The Saint Lucia Government has plans to improve operations at the Hewannorra International Airport through a public/private partnership,” the government said in a release.
According to St. Lucia Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy, the aim is to “ensure that redevelopment of the airport does not come at an unmanageable cost to the state.”
“Government is being assisted by the International Finance Corporation, an entity owned by the World Bank, in developing this framework,” Louisy said.
The proposed public-private partnership would “redefine the role of the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority,” she said.
“This approach will relieve SLASPA of some of their responsibilities while allowing the new entity to utilize SLASPA’s employees to manage and redevelop the airport without causing a strain on the public purse,” she said. “This will offer a greater level of service to the traveling public, and provide an international gateway that all Saint Lucians may be proud of.”