Sir Donald Sangster International Airport Montego Bay, Jamaica

Sir Donald Sangster International Airport is the largest international airport in Jamaica and serves the popular Montego Bay resort, which is just 6 km east of the airport (Montego Bay is Jamaica's second largest city). The airport has recently gone through a program of improvement and modernization to make it a leader in the Caribbean. The airport offer a large shopping area that is filled with luxury brands, jewellery, perfumes and liquor to fulfil anyone's shopping desire. Once you finish your shopping you can relax in one of it's many bars & restaurants and enjoy some authentic Jamaican cuisines or cocktails.

Sangster is usually referred to as the gateway to the Caribbean as it is the most popular airport for tourists visiting the north coast of Jamaica, processing over 60% of the country's visitors. Since the airport was first opened in 1947 it has gone through countless upgrades and expansions, including the construction of a new terminal building in 1959. "Sir Donald Sangster International Airport is the largest international airport in Jamaica".

In January 2001 an agreement was reached for a significant upgrade of the airport's facilities on a build operate transfer basis between the Government of Jamaica, the Airport Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) and the contracted consortium MBJ Airports Ltd.

Once notorious for the buccaneers and swashbuckling pirates who made the island their home over 300 years ago, Jamaica lies 550 miles south of Florida – at the very heart of the Caribbean. Today, the island is famous for the unique appeal of its scenic and rugged interior – the Blue Mountains rise to well over 7,000 feet – combined with the unmatched beauty of dazzling tropical beaches bordering the blue–green water of the Caribbean Sea. Each year, more and more visitors from around the globe are attracted by the island's magic, its history and its world–class facilities.

Sangster International Airport (MBJ) is ideally located on the northwest coast of the island – at the centre of the country's main tourism region and close to a wide range of hotel and resort facilities. The airport is within easy driving distance of the cruise ports at Montego Bay and Ocho Rios as well as the popular tourist town of Negril.

Montego Bay Airport History

The first international airline to fly into the Montego Bay Airport was Pan American Airways, and in fact, the airport, which in comparison to today's standards, was more like a small aerodrome, was operated by Pan American until September 30, 1949, when the Jamaican Government took control of the facility.

However, the Sangster International Airport, as we know it today, was nothing like it was in the early days. One of the most noticeable differences was that initially, the terminal building was on the northern side of the runway but was shifted to the southern side of the runway during one of the several upgrading exercises that took place at that facility, which was necessitated by the growth in air traffic over the years.

Plans for the construction of a new terminal at its present location, on the southern side of the runway, was announced in July of 1955. the plans for the new terminal building was part of what turned out to be a continued upgrading and restructuring of the facility, to enable it to cope with the growth in traffic. The new terminal was built and opened on July 7, 1959, with a capacity to accommodate 500 passengers per hour, and parking for seven aircraft at a time.

Over the years, the upgrading process was a continuous one, ultimately the facility had grown into the larger of the two international airports in Jamaica, handling approximately 3.7 million passengers per annum in 2007,and have seen and increase in passenger and aircraft movement since the start of 2008.They are currently seeking to increase the number of passengers from Asia, and are working with Brazil to receive non–stop service from there.

Tourist Attraction Montego Bay - Place of interest to visit on your Jamaica Holiday

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