Argyle International Airport will cater for future growth

Chief Executive Officer of the International Airport Development Corporation (IADC) Dr. Rudy Matthias has said that the international airport being constructed at Argyle will cater for future growth and development.{{more}}

At Sunday’s official ceremony to mark the go-ahead for work to begin on the passenger terminal building, Matthias, whose company is responsible for the overseeing of the construction and marketing of the country’s single largest capital project, noted that a collaboration between his company and representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Invest SVG, E.T Joshua Airport, Energy Unit and Engineers CECI Engineering Consultants, has resulted in what he believes to be an attractive, functional and modern passenger terminal, that would be the pride and joy of all Vincentians for many years to come.

“It will have three floors, with a total floor area of 171,100 square feet…. This terminal building is almost six times what you now see at ET Joshua….

“We have designed the terminal building to allow for comfortable passage of 800 persons at any one hour…. We have designed the airport to accommodate a Boeing 747-400 airplane.”

“Our terminal building is large enough to allow comfortable passage for about 1.5 million passengers per year.”

“We have a departure lounge and concessions area… we are going to have a rooftop restaurant and we have reintroduced a waving gallery on top of the rooftop of the terminal building.”

Also included in the terminal building will be a conference centre facility, several car parks for commercial parking, large buses taxis and rental cars.

“We have designed the building for the future and we have a bright future ahead of us.”

Matthias also disclosed to the crowd at Argyle that other buildings to be constructed at the site include a cargo terminal building, control tower, electrical substation building, equipment parking and maintenance building, water storage system, solid waste-incinerator and sewerage disposal system.

He reminded the gathering that the Taiwanese construction company Overseas Engineering and Construction Company (OECC) has been contracted to construct the terminal within 28 months at a cost of US$ 26.5 million.

“We confidently expect OECC to complete their work and to hand over the buildings to us on or before the end of November 2013. Contracts for the other buildings will be negotiated and awarded within the next 12 months or so.”

Matthias also touched on projects to be completed under the supervision of the IADC, which include the creation of facilities and attractions around the Argyle airport and the transformation of the ET Joshua airport site into a ‘new city.’

The CEO used the opportunity to rally supporters of the more than EC$600 million project to be brave, bold and confident as the IADC moves closer to its goal.

“As a small nation, we can hardly accomplish anything meaningful if we are consumed by self- doubt and lack self-confidence.

“With God’s help, we can accomplish anything, once we believe; and I am a believer!”

“I live by the inspirational words of R Kelly, who says: ‘If I can see it, then I can do it. If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it.’ That’s why I have always believed we can fly.”