Sustainable and resilient

Stantec’s Dave Dargie tells us more about the planning and design involved in drafting the long-term development options for the Cayman Islands’ airports.

Stantec and its project partners Chalmers Gibbs, BCQS, DKMA, KPMG, and Munich International have developed a 20 year growth plan for the Cayman Islands’ airports.

Their recommendations aim to guide the Cayman Islands Airport Authority (CIAA) through the development of their 20-year land use plans for Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) on Grand Cayman, Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CYB) on Cayman Brac, and Edward Bodden Airfield (LYB) on Little Cayman.

The scope of the recently completed Airports Development Project included highlighting the necessary infrastructure required to accommodate current and future aviation and passenger demands.

Consideration was given to incorporating sustainability and preserving as much of the natural flora and fauna at and around the three airports, along with developments over time.

The Airports Development Project effectively covered four major programmes:

– Project A1: The construction of a general aviation terminal at GCM

– Project A2: The new master plan to 2041 for GCM

– Project B: A new master plan for CYB

– Project C: The new master plan to 2041 for LYB

Stakeholder engagement, public outreach and site reviews

The development of the airport master plans began in 2021 with a mix of external and internal stakeholder interviews undertaken by the CIAA. These interviews continued over the next year into late 2022 and helped the CIAA confirm the development options best available to improve the proposed airports, while also garnering additional feedback from key stakeholders.

This stage of a development project is critical, allowing for the alignment of all involved parties on preferred development concepts for a potential redevelopment.

Throughout this process, the CIAA also engaged the public and local communities on all three Islands.

The public were given a presentation by the project team, highlighting and detailing the proposed improvements and changes to the airports. Public sentiment and responses to the proposed development options were very positive.

Ongoing investments and improvements addressing safety and regulatory concerns, protection of the environment, and improving passenger experience, were all extremely important to local communities, and ensuring those concerns were incorporated into the final master plans was paramount for both the CIAA and the project team.

Outcomes of the airport master planning process

Once stakeholder and public engagement concluded, the project team completed site visits to each of the three Cayman Islands Airports to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the condition of the existing infrastructure.

This allowed the team to assess amenities and identify challenges regarding regulatory standards and requisite improvements. The team collected several reference documents and past studies and completed a thorough review of all available information prior to commencement of concept planning and development efforts.

Utilising the demand requirements through 2041, the planning team created alternative plans for key infrastructure at each of the airports, including airside, landside, and terminal facilities.

An evaluation of the facility planning concepts were completed for each, from which the preferred development concepts were produced.

The cost estimates and environmental impacts of each of the preferred development concepts were then completed, from which final revisions to the airport master plans were finalised for each airport on Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman.

The plans enabled the CIAA to incorporate new, innovative technologies that improve capacity and throughput of passengers for their existing facilities.

In addition the new technology will help them adopt improved revenue producing services on the landside at GCM is planned to support the objectives of improving operational efficiencies, supporting an improved level of service and passenger experience, and enhancing and creating new, non-aeronautical revenue streams.

New general aviation terminal, hangar and apron at GCM

The existing general aviation (G/A) terminal at Owen Roberts International Airport has been maintained well beyond the building’s original and extended life expectancy. Indeed, the aging building requires ever-increasing maintenance and repairs which are both costly and disruptive to airport operations.

A new general aviation facility is a strategic objective for the Cayman Islands government. Stakeholders have indicated that the inferior quality of the facilities will likely deter tourism growth and operational efficiencies. Security, customer experience, and operational efficiencies are all lacking at the existing G/A terminal.

Selecting the preferred development alternative would resolve many of the current deficiencies at the airport.

A new development, located east of the main commercial terminal, would provide a modern general aviation terminal, hangars, and aircraft parking aprons to meet project airport needs. This brownfield site overlooks North Sound and once complete will help to improve the minimal time for general aviation aircraft to exit the runway and arrive at the G/A terminal.

Master plan for Owen Roberts International Airport

The airport master plan for Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) was focused on meeting key objectives that include improving the passenger experience, expanding facilities to accommodate growth, improving aeronautical and developing new non-aeronautical revenue streams, while complying with applicable aviation and environmental regulations and standards.

The airport landside access and parking areas are key functions for which future demand was considered and capacity provided to meet growing demand.

A series of airport approach roads and access points have been improved to enable the CIAA to secure employee and vehicle access into the airport at multiple locations, while separating fuel truck and other equipment movements from passenger terminal traffic.

Current at-grade surface parking lots are operating with limited available capacity; a ground transportation centre (GTC) or multi-level parking lot with a major car rental centre under cover, along with expanded employee parking and future concession and retail space is proposed.

A second-level walkway into the main terminal building was considered to protect passengers and guests from the environment when walking between the terminal and the GTC.

Master plan for Charles Kirkconnell International Airport

The Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CYB) on Cayman Brac supports domestic and international air traffic.

The immediate investments required for the airport are related to the creation of two Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs), widening the runway strip, and the removal of obstacles from around the airport.

The air terminal building is capable of meeting current demand but is frequently congested at peak times. Forecasted air traffic is expected to grow modestly between 2021 and 2041; as such, a new air terminal building will be required to replace the existing facility by 2041 to accommodate future passenger demand.

The existing building will continue to function with one to two flights simultaneously but forecast traffic growth will result in an increase in peak hour passengers that will likely exceed the capacity of the terminal.

The aircraft parking apron at CYB should be expanded to accommodate additional aircraft in the peak hour. Although two aircraft may park and manoeuvre efficiently today, a third aircraft in the peak hour will results in the need to expand the apron. The apron must also expand to enable aircraft types common to CYB to manoeuvre safely from aircraft parking stands to the taxiway.

A future second taxiway connecting the apron with the runway is needed to reduce delays from aircraft operations on the commercial aircraft parking apron, and to improve safe and efficient airside operations.

New Little Cayman Airport Master Plan

The existing Edward Bodden Airfield (LYB), located at the west end of Little Cayman Island, its approach/departure paths being directly over the village of West End and the large ponds that are home to significant bird colonies, which pose a high potential for bird strikes to aircraft at LYB.

The proposed New Little Cayman Airport includes an airport access road from Spot Bay Road, a new 1,200 metre runway and connector taxiway to an aircraft parking apron, an airport terminal building to support scheduled passenger operations, and a building to house the fire truck and airport maintenance equipment.

It is assumed that the new airport will be operated as a domestic-only facility with limited hours of operation. The planning team did not anticipate the need to accommodate international air services.

Airfield lighting is to be provided to enable MEDEVAC flights 24/7. Other aircraft operations may be restricted during the daily inbound/outbound bird migration peak periods.

The terminal building would enable enhanced passenger check-in, security screening, and a sterile departures hold room for outbound passengers, segregated from arrival passengers.

About the author

Dave Dargie is Stantec’s vice president and aviation leader for airport infrastructure in the Caribbean.