Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA)

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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