US$50 Million Airport Resurfacing Delivered on Time and on Budget
The tourism minister says runway improvements allowed Antigua to accommodate large cargo and government aircraft during CHOGM.
Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Charles Fernandez says the US$50 million airport resurfacing project was completed on time and within budget, enabling V.C. Bird International Airport to handle large aircraft during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
“We did a great job. Brought it in actually on budget and on time,” Fernandez said on the Browne and Browne programme.
The minister cited a large cargo aircraft that brought in a helicopter, vehicles and other equipment for the summit. He also pointed to the arrival of the Australian prime minister aboard a large Airbus as an example of the type of aircraft the airport was able to accommodate.
Fernandez said the summit pushed the government to accelerate some infrastructure work that otherwise could have been left for a later year. He included road improvements in that assessment and said there was still work to do.
Education Minister Daryll Matthew, also on the programme, said infrastructure improvements should be considered when assessing the summit’s legacy. He cited ongoing needs in downtown St. John’s and on the road network. “We have to fix the roads anyway,” Matthew said.
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