Airport runway extension project to begin in 2026- Premier
In a statement on October 30, 2025, Minister for Communications and Works Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5) said the Virgin Islands (VI) will seek to extend the airport runway at Terrance B. Lettsome Airport on Beef Islands by 7000 feet, and this has been endorsed by Cabinet.
During his Budget Address at the Twelfth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA) on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Premier Wheatley said his government is advancing the territory’s transportation infrastructure for sustainable growth.
“The Cabinet, guided by the business case submitted by KPMG, has approved the expansion of Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, selecting a 7,000-foot runway extension to support larger aircraft and direct flights from major regions.
“This project will improve travel options, increase tourism and investment, create jobs, and is planned to begin construction in 2026 after identifying qualified partners through an Expression of Interest process,” Premier Wheatley said.
‘Master Plan’
The Premier also noted that a “Master Plan” for airport development will be submitted for approval, and an Environmental Impact Assessment is planned by the end of 2025.
Request for Proposals (RFP) for the runway extension project is expected to be issued in the first quarter of 2026.
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32 Responses to “Airport runway extension project to begin in 2026- Premier”
We live in under an authoritarian DICTATORSHIP. Colonialism is back. We are just low wage workers. They are no limits Elites.
The "Not a done Deal" airport was always that.
Make the March on Monday against this. This will be the biggest crime against the VI people.
VI people will be bound by the chains of debt from this for a century whilst a few get rich quick.
There is a reason this is all being done behind closed doors locked in a SECRET cabinet.
Even with a longer runway, you make still have to fly to those other airports to catch bigger planes..
The people should march on the whole HOA...
Government with no B....
Residents of small towns elsewhere, have to spend hours travelling to a larger metropolis to catch a flight.
One might ask, how many visitors do the residents of these islands need to economically survive, and is it worth further destroying the environment that both visitors and residents were attracted to in the first place?
The truth is at the time or juncture of our development of, of course the B.V.I. a number of planned projects are on our political cabinet table for consideration. Such as the rebuilding of dismantled Althier Scattliff's Primary School, the rebuilding of the torned down old Culture site across or parallel from the dismantled dismantled Althier Scattliffe's, the West End Ferry Dock not-yet-started projects, and a number of others planned projects not yet funded.
The simple to understand truth is the at this time, all of these projects are needful, but we lact the money to do all of them in the short term.
Our 2026 budjet $550M, though our largest estimated ever is inefficiently to small to properly funded, planned, begin, muchless to finish them all in the short term. Posible a number of them will not be started, but if they all will, and be completed, not disregarding our current water shortages due to leakage, about 80% I heard, our traffic roads efficiency, our run-dowin infrastructure, and counting. If we are too achieved all of these mentioned projects, and bring under control the current hike of violent gun crimes, and elegal drugs violations, we would need much more than a budjet estimate. We will need at least, $1, 000,000,000 plus, bearing in mind that due to poor accountable of budgetary cash management, $50M of the $550M of the 2026 budjet can disappear into thin air???
I put it to you that we do do need to extend the Terence B. Airport in the future, but we don't have the money (financial ability to start, muchless start and finished those that we urgently need.
It is just another political ploy, and special people tactical political game playing, and continuing.
Government low income workers, and minimum wage workers, did you all gotten your promised raised as yet.
Still waiting.
4+ to 7,000ft runway they say, 2026?
?
Before expanding the airport we should have more hotels, restaurants, doctors, roads, etc.
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