Airport Runway Expansion To 7,000 Feet
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer has confirmed the business case recommends extending Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport’s runway to 7,000 feet, and Cabinet has endorsed that recommendation. The outline business case, prepared to Green Book standards by KPMG, has been forwarded to the UK for review as part of ongoing talks about borrowing limits and financial protocols.
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer has confirmed that the government will pursue a 7,000-foot runway at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport after receiving a Green Book-standard business case prepared by KPMG. Rymer told reporters that consultants recommended the longer runway based on their findings and that Cabinet endorsed that recommendation.
The government has forwarded the outline business case to the United Kingdom for review, he said, noting the proposal is being considered alongside ongoing discussions on borrowing limits and the Protocols for Effective Financial Management. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, speaking at the same briefing, said the territory has asked the UK to treat the airport project as an investment rather than additional debt.
He stressed that current protocols limit the Virgin Islands’ ability to fund major infrastructure and that the administration will continue talks with UK ministers later this month. Government statements earlier said the aim of the expansion is to improve international access to the territory and increase capacity for longer-range aircraft.
Officials say the project could create opportunities for new direct services and greater tourist connectivity, which in turn may benefit local businesses and jobs. The project has been under review for more than a year, with the business case scheduled for evaluation by mid-2025 in previous announcements.
Rymer said a steering group continues to work on the file and that officials will provide a timeline for public release of the business case once the UK review is complete. He gave no construction timetable or cost estimate at the briefing. The outline business case is intended to guide next steps, including an expression of interest and procurement stages after the UK review.
For residents, the immediate implications are procedural: government and UK agreement on the project classification and financing will determine when procurement and construction can proceed. The administration faces the task of balancing potential economic and tourism gains with questions around financing, environmental impacts and community consultation — matters likely to feature in later stages of the planning and public disclosure process.
Officials have not yet released the full business case publicly. The government says further updates will follow as the steering group completes its work and the UK finishes its review.
Primary source: BVI News