A 30-year plan has already been developed, and the IFC has advised that a contract should be awarded by Oct. 2015.

It was recently announced that the Hewanorra International Airport would undergo redevelopment through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

The Hewanorra International Airport Redevelopment Project aims to execute infrastructural and operational improvements that will facilitate an expected increase in passenger arrivals and aircraft landings.

Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony, said the new framework will also allow for improvements in quality standards and adherence to international best practices.

“SLASPA  and  the  Government  of  Saint  Lucia  will seek  to  leverage  private  sector  investment  and  expertise through  a concession agreement which legally binds the private concessionaire to financing, constructing, operating and maintaining the airport for a specified period,” Dr. Anthony explained.

A 30-year plan has already been developed along with a diligence and transaction report, with assistance from the International Financial Corporation (IFC).

“The  IFC  has  advised  that  the  bidding  process  will  commence  this  month (May) and should conclude with the awarding of a contract by October 2015," Dr. Anthony continued. "In line with the master  plan,  SLASPA  will  commence  as  early  as  June  2015,  a  program of initiatives  that  will  signal  the  start  of  the  redevelopment  of  the  airport,  but equally seeks to address capacity concerns and safety considerations.”

Independent senator Dr. Stephen King expressed support for the PPP.

"We need more of that kind of thinking that requires the knowledge that Gene Leon was talking about. We don’t always have to borrow to build. We can partner, mobilize private capital, and make it so.”

Senator King emphasized the potential of public-private partnerships in other sectors of the economy.

"In the health sector [it is] the same. A multi-national lab [is willing to] do a PPP with full state of the art equipment. It would be cheaper, and [will] give access to precision diagnostic medicine - in other words the genetic testing molecular testing that we need.”

The Hewanorra International Airport Redevelopment Project includes the realignment and extension of the runway turning bay, the construction of a new technical tower, and the development of an additional parking apron.