Today in San Pedro - the Central American Presidents were making all the headlines but the Belize Airports Authority had some news of its own. IT broke ground for an upgrade of the San Pedro Municipal Airstrip.
It is a 3.1 million dollar project - and Civil Aviation Minister Manuel Herredia - who is also the area representative told us what it will mean to San Pedro:..
Jim McFadzean
"Minister how important is important the upgrading of this airstrip for tourism in Belize?"
Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
"It is extremely important because if you were here in the beginning, it was mention that this is the busiest airstrip aside from the PGIA, this is the busiest, its moves around a little more than 330 passengers annually and more than 120 flights so its means to say that if it's that busy then safety is very important. It has been our aim in the ministry of tourism, civil aviation and culture to make sure that the safety of our passengers both internationally and locally are the best."
Jim McFadzean
"Minister this a 3.1 million dollars investment, I am assuming this is going to create jobs for this island?"
Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
"Definitely it will create, in its inception it will create probably more than 100 jobs for our local people along with the contractors, but again after completion we will definitely have to be looking at better services and so, so it will definitely enhance - if we can show that we are really doing a good job with enhancing that way tourist are more comfortable, the bigger number of tourist that they get then indeed more people will be hired."
The money will be spend on an upgraded landing strip, security fencing, larger parking area for private aircrafts, adequate lighting for emergency night-landings and a general enhancement of the safety and security features on the compound.
Kenworth Tillett, General Manager of the Airports Authority told us more:…
Jim McFadzean
"Mr. Tillett, could you give us an idea as to what this 3.1 million infusion into the upgrading of this airstrip will means for people who fly in to Belize's number one tourist destination?"
Kenworth Tillett, GM Belize Airport Authority
"Well for of all we are going to be repaving the landing strip itself so that we don't have the potholes that we have now since time has not been kind to the airport. We are also going to be installing security fencing to stop some of the pedestrian traffic that keeps cross the airport, we are going to be improving the lighting system in terms of to facilitate light landings when there are emergency or as the traffic expands we do not have to shut down as soon as it is dark as we have to do right now."
The project is a cooperation between the Airports Authority and COCESSNA..
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