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Shane Munroe, Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports
MBJ Airports Limited, which manages the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James, says its considering having the airport operate as a testing site for COVID-19.
Shane Munroe, Chief Executive Officer of MBJ Airports, says in the interim, the company is working with the authorities to quickly put in place measures to increase arrivals amid the entry requirements from Jamaica's main tourist source markets.
"We have to ensure that the journey for the passenger is as seamless as possible and we make it convenient for passengers to meet those requirements, so that really is our immediate focus. Certainly, the testing is something that we'd like to see resolved quickly. This can improve confidence for the passenger and we'd like to ensure that the bookings that are already in place for travel remain," he insisted.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has said that by February 1, Jamaica should be in a position to respond to the demands for COVID-19 testing, particularly from the United States.
The UK and Canada have similar requirements in place.
Mr. Munroe, who was speaking in an interview with Radio Jamaica News on Monday, said he hopes the government's plan will materialise shortly to avoid cancellations.
He noted that since the cost of testing can also be a deterrent to travellers, the government must ensure that testing is widely available as well as affordable.
Mr. Munroe said passenger arrivals at Sangster International Airport in December was about 120,000 or 45 per cent higher than in November.
But the numbers so far in January are not meeting expectations, so he anticipates "a slight reduction in demand, compared to what we had already projected."
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