NEGRIL, Hanover — Jason Henzell, president of the Jakes Hotel in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, is confident that the presence of an international airport in Negril will complement long-awaited improvements to the Lionel Densham Airfield in St. Elizabeth and that both projects will boost for a long time. long-term development on the south coast.

He was reacting to a recent announcement that Little London, Westmoreland, had been chosen to host the country’s fourth international airport. For years, discussions had focused on modernizing the airfield now located on the Hanover side of Negril. However, it was ultimately determined that the current airfield would not be able to accommodate larger aircraft used for international flights.

“I would like to commend the AAJ (Airports Authority of Jamaica) and the consultants for proposing this site as it will relieve Montego Bay and be very convenient for Negril, but it will (also) be of considerable value to the future development of the south coast,” Henzell told the Jamaica Observer Friday.

He does not foresee any challenges with having an international airport approximately two hours’ drive from St Elizabeth Airfield.

“We would still like to see this developed for private planes to attract high-end visitors and also so people can take day trips to various locations,” Henzell explained.

The aim is to upgrade St Elizabeth Airfield through a reverse public-private partnership in which the government will own it but the current operators will remain in place. In 2010, Henzell and private investors invested $18 million in building a 2,500-foot strip, and the plan was to extend it to 3,200 feet.

On Friday, he said discussions about the future of the facility were at an advanced stage.

He told the Observer that an aviation consultant and an objective third party worked on a business case that included meetings with political representatives, landowners and real estate agents.

“The report came back saying we got value for money and it would be a net positive. This could be a good strategic move for further development of Treasure Beach,” Henzell said.

He predicts that the combination of the upgraded airfield and the Negril International Airport will make the south coast more attractive to large investors. He said properties such as Paradise in Westmoreland, Font Hill on the Westmoreland border and St Elizabeth and Malcolm Bay in St Elizabeth “lend themselves to the development of integrated resorts”.

“That is to say the hotels, the villas, the townhouses, the marina, the golf course; I’m talking about revolutionary approaches to tourism in this country. I am convinced that establishing a presence in the Little London area is the right way forward for the long-term development of the South Coast. And in the same vein that I talked about large-scale development, I would still maintain that places like Treasure Beach, we want to stay low density. There’s nothing wrong with a Treasure Beach having its own flavor of being a model of low-density community tourism,” Henzell said.

But as he discovered when he expressed his support for the project in a WhatsApp group made up of south coast stakeholders, not everyone agrees with him on the decision to have the international airport at Little London. There was some reluctance within the group, Henzell said. Meanwhile, Ian Hayles of the People’s National Party (PNP), who is aspiring to become Western Westmoreland’s next MP, has also made it clear that he opposes the move. Hayles argued that the resources that will be pumped into building Little London Airport would be better spent on providing essential services – such as water and roads – that will benefit both visitors and locals.

However, Henzell doesn’t believe road building and the airport are mutually exclusive.

“I think the Montego Bay bypass is essential. I think the Lucea bypass is crucial and I think the improvement of the road from Negril to Montego Bay is still crucial. I’m not saying it’s one or the other. I say that the road network and the airports must work together. I am 100 percent in favor of upgrading the road,” he told the Observer.

He suggested it might be time to explore the idea of ​​a bond for the Norman Manley International Airport, an idea once floated by former Finance and Civil Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke .

“We would like the majority of these funds to be dedicated to developing a fourth international airport and modernizing local airfields,” Henzell said.

“When you go to countries like the Bahamas and Antigua, private aviation is an extremely important business. Jamaica occupies an extremely small share of this market. We need to plan for large international carriers, but we also need to be more accommodating and friendly to private jet enthusiasts. Sometimes it’s the biggest investors who come on a private plane and want a seamless experience,” he explained.