By Enrique Rupert
If all goes to plan, the redevelopment of the Hewanorra International Airport in Saint Lucia could possibly be completed by 2029, according to the General Manager of the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority (SLASPA) Daren Cenac.
In an exclusive interview with the St. Lucia Times at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Trinidad and Tobago on October 6, Cenac said the competitive bidding process was ongoing and would be closed at the end of October.
Cenac attended the Airports Council International — Latin America and Caribbean (ACI-LAC) Annual Assembly Conference and Exhibition in Trinidad and Tobago, alongside SLASPA’s Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer/Deputy General Manager, Grace Parkinson and Senior Manager of Airports Amy Charles.
Cenac said the conference was the perfect opportunity to network with some of the best minds of the airport industry in the region. “It’s to find out which suppliers are actually in your region and to look at the different technologies, so when we open those bids, we will be able to determine what’s working and what’s not working in our region.”
Cenac drew reference to Martinique, which recently finished a €115 million airport expansion. “Networking with the airport authorities and also with different service providers in the industry, whether it is just technology, furniture, or baggage handling systems, you have so many different service providers in Trinidad. It’s a one-stop, an amazing place to be to network.”
Cenac hopes once a contractor is chosen, the construction of the airport can commence by the first quarter of 2026. When asked when he expects the airport to be completed, he said it would be dependent on the contractor’s advice. He gave an rough estimation when asked when he hopes it is completed.
“Based on the experience in the region, Saint Martin finished theirs in 37 months and that was a recent build that was opened last year. If you look at recent post-Covid, even though Saint Martin has a direct link to the Netherlands, that’s hopefully the timeframe. That gives us a semblance of what it should be.”
Asked about the strategic plan of the SLASPA, Cenac said a five-year strategic plan was started in 2024 and dealt with reorganising the SLASPA. “The vision is to be the modern gateway, connecting people, partners and the world. Not just infrastructurally, but the human aspect. Within those first two years, we are reorganising SLASPA with a new structure… To be able to respond to internal and external customer needs.”
Cenac said once the resources were on board, implementing the objectives and goals would become easier. Asked his thoughts on the presentations and panels at the conference, Cenac found them “interesting.”
Presentations on the state of the airport industry in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the current geopolitical context were highlighted with additional conversations on the best practices in airport concession contracts, navigating the legal landscape of aerodrome certification and building climate and disaster resilient airports during panels held.
