The government of the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos has, for some time, resolved to redevelop Howard Hamilton International Airport (PLS) under a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. In June, the islands’ airport authority revealed a timeline that detailed the key stages of the project and the scale of the infrastructure that will be developed.

PLS—the biggest gateway in the country and formerly called Providenciales International Airport—does not have enough capacity at present. In the words of the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), the airport “has proved to be inadequate in spacing with no scope for increased demands.” This is particularly true since international flights to the Turks and Caicos Islands began to return in strength from the end of November 2021.

Just over a year ago, the TCIAA—first set up by the government in 2006—contracted ALG Global as the consultant and infrastructure advisor for the redevelopment project. Among its main tasks were to:

• Set out a business case for the construction of a new two-floor terminal building (minimum of 270,000 square feet including boarding bridges, enhanced commercial areas, and increased VIP lounges)

• Ensure the ability to handle about 2.5 million passengers annually

• Develop a proposal for airside expansion involving extra domestic and international stands and the addition of a parallel taxiway to improve the number of air traffic movements (ATMs) per hour to 26.

The investment cost is estimated at $364 million and the PPP business case was approved by Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office on May 23 this year. The British body has jurisdiction on such matters because Turks and Caicos is a British self-governing overseas territory, the third largest by population, and a dependency of the UK.

TCIAA envisages modernizing and improving the capacity at Providenciales Airport over 40 years. The start of the concession for the chosen PPP partner is set for January 1, 2024, for a period of 30 years. With the approval having been granted, the TCIAA has been able to go ahead and discuss the project publicly and has now outlined, in detail, the timeline and next steps as follows ...

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