Gareth Davis Sr, Gleaner Writer

Government has abandoned its plans to extend the runway at the Ken Jones domestic airport in Portland.

According to Daryl Vaz, minister of information, the investment is not considered to be rewarding at this time.

The minister, who was addressing the business community in Portland on Thursday, said an assessment done earlier concluded that the runway at Ken Jones could only be extended by a further 400 feet, which was not sufficient to warrant serious investment.

According to the minister, even if the runway, which measures approximately 3,200 feet, was to be extended by an additional 400 feet, it still would not be long enough to land certain types of jets.

"Yes, we definitely were looking into the possibility of transforming Ken Jones into an airport facility, which would allow it to be able to be an international port of entry with customs and immigrations," said Vaz.

Lobbying for upgrade

Local hoteliers and other tourism interests have been lobbying Government for some time now to upgrade the aerodrome so as to accommodate direct flights into Portland.

Vaz noted that it was rather unfortunate that the extension of the runway was not feasible, as outlined by the civil aviation authorities.

The minister, however, assured the gathering that the Ken Jones facility would not be left totally abandoned, as new measures would be put in place to ensure that the aerodrome remained operational.

"What I am trying to do in the meantime is to get Ken Jones back into operation, without extending its runway, as this would be cost-effective. The idea is to get that facility up to a standard wherein it can accommodate customs and immigration personnel," said Vaz.

According to the minister, the move could still allow for direct flights.

There will be other drawbacks to upgrading the airport, as there are no refuelling stations available at the facility, limiting the scope of its operations.