Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 21, 2019 (ZIZ News): The St. Christopher Air & Sea Ports Authority SCASPA hosted members of the media on a tour of the RLB International Airport’s runway on Wednesday as part of the ongoing rehabilitation work being undertaken there.
Phase II of the RLB international airport’s rehabilitation project, which is well underway, includes the resurfacing of taxiway ‘A’ which has been out of operation for many years and a phased extension to include the resurfacing and reinforcement of the apron.
Minister of Public Infrastructure Hon. Ian Liburd spoke of the importance of the area that is a part of Phase II.
He said after assessing the airport and its runways, it was recommended that work be done in terms of drainage and lighting to ensure that the airport maintains its class “A” status.
He said one of the major components of phase two is the complete replacing of the asphalt on the runway with concrete.
Consultant Errol Douglas outlined the technical aspect of the work being done.
Minister Liburd said like all other large-scale economic and infrastructure investments of the government of St. Kitts and Nevis, the employment of local contractors has been a top priority.
Upon completion of Phase II, the RLB int’l airport will have a state-of-the-art superstructure which can facilitate the growing size of aircraft and increased airplane traffic.
To complement these improvements, SCASPA has installed the most modern solar powered environmentally friendly runway lighting system.
At present, the RLB International Airport can accommodate seven wide body aircrafts in addition to smaller commuters like the LIAT aircraft.