Grand Cayman has been enjoying an enormous surge in popularity. Tourism is increasing along with the number of airlines offering direct routes and more scheduled flights. In response to this boom in tourism Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport, under the supervision of the Cayman Island’s Airport Authority (CIAA), has been undergoing a $55 million renovation to expand the facility and better serve the over 1.2 million passengers who pass through it’s doors each year.
For the past year and a half, the Cayman airport has been a construction site and navigating through it has honestly been a real challenge. Sections of entry and exit points are cordoned off. Getting through Customs is manageable, but can sometimes take an hour standing in line during peak season. One way to avoid the wait is to take advantage of the CIAA’s Meet and Greet Service. An airport official will meet you at the plane and fast-track you through the Customs process. The cost is $30 CI or $36.85 US per member of your party.
The departure lounge, the last phase of the project to be completed, is currently congested and overcrowded and most of the duty-free shops are now empty as the airport authority reviews bids for the new space.
The project has been a long time in the making but the facility is starting to take shape.
According to the Cayman Compass, a new wing to the check-in area opened to the public in December. Southwest Airlines, British Airways and American Airlines were the first to move into their new quarters.
A new Arrivals area will open at the end of January. Piece by piece more sections will open throughout the year. CIAA is aiming have it all completed by this Christmas, 2018.
Once it’s complete the new airport will be able to handle more than double the capacity of the current facility. Traveling in and out of Cayman will soon be a breeze. A Caribbean breeze that is!
