The Cayman Islands Airports Authority is moving ahead with plans in Grand Cayman for a new general aviation parking apron, heliport and marine dock, and is now seeking contractors to begin building the facilities.
The authority, through government’s public procurement portal Bonfire, issued a request for proposals for contractors for the project, which is phase one of the overall upgrade of the facility utilised by private planes and helicopters at Owen Roberts International Airport.
The RFP says the Airports Authority intends to begin construction, subject to government approvals, during the second quarter of 2025.
The tender, which was opened on 28 Jan., closes on 12 March.
The authority said the general aviation project is designed to permit the contractor to complete the construction work while the airport is open and remains in operation.
The authority, responding to Compass queries on the tender, said that the project is for a general aviation parking apron only, and a dock for relocation of the Cayman Islands Fire Service vessel.
“The projected completion date is Q2 2026, however a more specific project schedule will be determined during the tender process. We cannot comment further as we are in an active procurement and would not want to prejudice the process,” the CIAA said.
Late last year, the authority announced its preferred supplier for the project design and a contract was issued at a value of $1.264 million.
In outlining the case for the general aviation upgrade, the RFP document said the existing general aviation terminal “is well beyond the building’s original and extended life expectancy”.
The upgrade forms part of one of the four key elements in the authority’s 2041 Master Plan for the development and improvement of Owen Roberts’ general aviation operations.
“The ageing building requires ever-increasing maintenance and repairs, and the facility fails to provide the high-value brand image that the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) is working to foster for its visitors,” the document said.
Poor condition
It acknowledges key issues such as the relatively poor condition of the terminal building and the lack of space required for general aviation aircraft parking during peak periods.
Another key issue, it said, is the delays to commercial airline operations due to time required for aircraft taxiing operations on the nearby runway.
“Key stakeholders maintain that the poor quality of the existing general aviation facilities at [Owen Roberts International Airport] inhibits high-net-worth tourism growth and it is clear that it is necessary to replace these facilities to improve security, customer service/experience, aircraft parking capacity and efficiency,” it said.
The general aviation improvements, as outlined in the master plan, are separated into three phases, the document said.
Under the plan, phase one is to complete the aircraft parking apron, the heliport apron and the small marine dock. Phase two is to build the general aviation terminal and the third and final phase is to construct a general aviation hangar.
The authority said it is now in a position to engage the services of a qualified contractor for phase one only.
For the improvements to general aviation apron operations, the authority said it is proposing an expansion that includes an aircraft parking apron, three taxiway connections, a ground-side access road and utilities, a heliport and marine dock.
The CIAA Airports Master Plan, which was unveiled last July, outlined the way forward for aerodromes on all three islands over the next two decades. The total estimated price tag for the many projects in the plan was pegged at just under $660 million.
Of that amount, almost $491 million will be spent on Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman, $79 million on the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac, and $47.5 million on the Edward Bodden Airfield in Little Cayman.
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Why do we need a dock for the Cayman Islands Fire Service vessel?, to my knowledge we have only had one aircraft end up in the sea over the last 60 odd years.