GRANTLEY ADAMS INTERNATION AIRPORT
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GRANTLEY ADAMS INTERNATION AIRPORT
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I PROFILE
Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) is Barbados’ only airport and the aviation hub of the Eastern Caribbean. It handles daily trips between the other islands, as well as nonstop flights to London, Toronto, New York, and Miami. As CEO Hadley Bourne explained to Hannah Barnett, the airport is a hub of activity. ith aN 11,000ft asphalt runway,
W
season’, the airport operated and han-
one of the longest in the Eastern
dled over 440 flights, encompassing
Caribbean, Grantley Adams
more than 180,000 passengers.
on the eastern fringe of the Caribbean basin
Renewal and growth
and forms one of the most important links
It is a time of revitalization at GAIA. The
in the aviation infrastructure of the region.
company is bouncing back from the impact
GAIA handles more than two million
of Covid, having lost 95% of its passenger
International Airport is strategically situated
commercial passengers annually, with
traffic during the pandemic. It has also
a terminal designed to handle 1,600
been battling the challenges brought by
arriving and 1,600 departing at peak. The
nature, including a volcanic eruption on
airport is also an excellent cargo
a nearby island and the worst
transhipment point for the region and
hurricane in over 60 years.
is increasingly popular for this pur-
“Over the last few years, we
pose between South American and
have been gradually assisting
European carriers.
the industry to reach the levels
This year, during its busiest six
of traffic we’re seeing today,”
months known as the ‘Air-to-Sea
CEO Hadley Bourne said. “I think
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GRANTLEY ADAMS INTERNATION AIRPORT
I PROFILE
most other airport entities will have expe-
that did not prevent the operational
rienced the same passenger decline and
completion of the work by August 2021.
then the gradual or rapid recovery to the
“It is a runway rehabilitation project,”
present levels that we’re seeing now.
Mr. Bourne said. “We built a new
From our analysis, we saw that this rapid
Southwestern apron for parking of
return would come, and it has.”
Category B and C aircraft. And we did
The airport commenced work on a $40
some strengthening and widening of some
million investment to upgrade facilities
of our taxiways to facilitate the Airbus 380.
in 2019, though that was significantly
The work was completed successfully.”
impacted by Covid, too. With one con-
The main areas of profitability at the
tractor located as far away as Canada,
airport are aeronautical revenue and
there were unforeseen delays. However,
commercial leases from the shops and concessionary stands. But the company is on the brink of a significant Public Private Partnership. “We are currently looking at alternative investment opportunities in terms of management and infrastructure upgrades,” Mr. Bourne explained. “It is public knowledge that we recently signed an MOU with consulting companies; we’re within that period and looking to see what the opportunities are, though nothing definitive has been formalized yet.”
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Sustainable skies
For air quality management,
The GAIA sustainability management
GAIA has been working with air-
plan was completed in 2022, and the
port stakeholders to move
company is fully behind it. Mr. Bourne
towards EV equipment and shift
even presented at a conference in
its operational fleet to electric.
Amsterdam in March 2023 to discuss
“This means the buses for trans-
the measures the airport is taking to
porting passengers and the
be greener.
vehicles we use for operational
The plan can be divided into several
purposes,” Mr. Bourne said. “That’s
sections: water management, solid
part of our country’s sustainability plan
waste management, energy manage-
for 2030. We’ve also tried to diversify.
ment, air quality management, and
We have a solar farm on site and are
social sustainability.
looking to expand with the commission
As a Caribbean Island nation, water preservation is very important. “We are
of a 5MW plant.” On the social sustainability side, the
looking to increase our water harvest in
airport remains vigilant to the destruction
terms of groundwater and use that for
hurricane season can wreak on the
nonprofitable purposes,” Mr. Bourne said.
local community.
“We also have a wastewater treatment
“When the wind direction changes, it
plant, which we intend to modernize
has a greater impact on the community
and upgrade.”
that is downwind,” Mr. Bourne explained.
The airport is also working with the
“So, one of the things we have done is
Ministry of Health to find solutions to treat
sponsored a local school. We try to con-
international waste that it does not have
nect with the public on a significant scale
an incinerator for, as well as exploring
and do our best to minimize and mitigate
other options besides burning.
the impact of our operations.”
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GRANTLEY ADAMS INTERNATION AIRPORT
Partnerships for the future
I PROFILE
After an event as unprecedented as the
After the turbulence of the last few years
Covid pandemic, it is clear that GAIA is not
in the airport industry and beyond, the
simply recovering but thriving. There
strong relationship GAIA has with its
are, of course, still certain challenges
suppliers has proved essential.
to contend with.
“Long-term supply chain relationships
“What we are seeing as we return to
are built on trust and loyalty,” Mr. Bourne
normality, and not just normality, but
said. “We are straightforward, upfront,
expedited and increased traffic levels,
and open. On my watch, we just keep
is that staff numbers have ramped up to
it wholesome. Set the tasks, set the
meet this increase,” Mr. Bourne reflected.
goals, set the boundaries, set the
“In most cases, an experienced person
parameters, and then execute. Once
might have gone during the pandemic
you keep it in that frame, it pays divi-
and not come back. So, we’re finding
dends for both parties.
a lot of younger and inexperienced per-
“I always try to instigate the idea
sons coming into the industry and it does
that there is an ecosystem; we are all
present some operational challenges in
dependable on each other, whether as
terms of efficiency and effectiveness. But
a producer, consumer, or supplier. And we
it is also to be expected and welcomed.”
help each other, or there will be a break in
As the company looks to the future,
that ecosystem, and then there’ll be some
it continues to expand its Capex pro-
form of failure.”
gram of modernization and upgrades,
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skilfully navigating any obstacles that
a difficulty at work, especially
may arise.
in tough times. I don’t like when
“I love challenges,” Mr. Bourne
it’s just easy sailing. I prefer
concluded. “My background is in
when there is a significant
engineering, so I am a problem-solver.
level of input needed from me;
I love the excitement of overcoming
life just becomes boring otherwise.” n
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