Sangster Airport waives fees for relief flights

MBJ Airports Limited, operators of Sangster International Airport (SIA), has announced that it is waiving all landing and parking fees for non-commercial relief flights bringing cargo and medical personnel into SIA, effective October 30.

The waiver will remain in effect through the duration of relief and recovery operations as Jamaica works to return to normalcy.

The airport operators said relief supplies eligible for the fee waiver include food items, drinking water, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, shelter materials, hygiene products, fuel for emergency operations, and other items designated by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and relevant government agencies.

Limited commercial flight operations resumed at the airport on Saturday. MBJ CEO Shane Munroe shared that while normal operations remain suspended, the airport had started accepting humanitarian and relief flights from last Thursday.

"The situation is critical, and immediate action is required to deliver much-needed aid and supplies to affected Jamaicans," he said.

With the scaled resumption of limited commercial flight operations, MBJ is expecting high passenger volumes as tourists who were unable to travel before the hurricane try to return home. Munroe appealed to travellers to first verify flight details with their airlines and ensure they have confirmed bookings before coming to the airport.

"We know this is a stressful time, and as airlines confirm their schedules, we're sharing those updates on our social media platforms so passengers can plan accordingly," he said.

"There are a lot of people who will be trying to get on the earliest flight available to their destination and we want to reduce the congestion as much as possible. So we're urging passengers to use the various customer support and online tools from the airlines to make any necessary changes to their travel plans which help us to quickly get them through the departure process at the airport."