15 years turning vision into reality
MBJ AIRPORTS Limited (MBJ) is celebrating 15 years as operator of Sangster International Airport (SIA), Jamaica’s leading international gateway located in Montego Bay at the centre of the island’s main tourism corridor. MBJ was awarded a 30-year concession agreement by the Government of Jamaica in April 2003 to operate, maintain and develop the airport. SIA handles the vast majority of tourists visiting Jamaica as the largest airport in the island by flights and passenger volume.
Approximately 95 per cent of the passengers transiting SIA are on international flights, mostly bound for markets in North America and Europe. Approximately 70 per cent of visitors to Jamaica use SIA.
MBJ is owned by Desarrollo De Concessiones Aeroportuarias SA (DCA), a subsidiary of Mexico-based Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), with a 74.5 per cent interest, and Vancouver, Canada-based Vantage Airport Group, with the remaining 25.5 per cent. MBJ’s two shareholders manage 21 airports in five countries around the world between them, GAP with 12 in Mexico and Vantage with nine across four countries.
Over the past 15 years, MBJ has invested more than 230 million USD to upgrade and develop the airport’s infrastructure, transforming SIA into the welcoming, safe and efficient transportation hub it is today. It has also been recognised as the Caribbean’s Leading Airport for the past nine years by World Travel Awards. Today, MBJ continues to invest to expand its airside and terminal infrastructure, ensuring SIA is positioned for continued growth over the next 15 years and beyond. SIA is in the process of becoming a world-class international airport, second to none, facilitating competitiveness and economic growth in Jamaica.
MBJ is undergoing several important upgrades as it integrates new technology and expands the physical infrastructure of the airport to accommodate growing traffic and improve operations.
In 2018, a new chapter begins for MBJ, not only because it marks the halfway point in the airport operator’s concession agreement with the Government of Jamaica, but, more important, because it is the beginning of a new and exciting phase of development. This next phase of growth includes a number of iconic projects that will significantly change the look and feel of the airport, while also enhancing safety, efficiency and the overall experience for the travelling public.