February 20, 2011 - St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), a collection of 32 islands and cays in the Southern Caribbean, plans to commence operations of its new Argyle International Airport in early 2013, clearing the path for direct international jet service and expanding its passenger-handling capacity fivefold, said Glen Beache, Chief Executive Officer of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority.  

Mr. Beache shared the news at the 4th Routes Americas event that opened Monday in the Dominican Republic, which he was attending to meet with airlines and other development partners. It is the first time the Routes Americas conference has been held in the Caribbean.  

The progress of the Argyle International Airport, which is expected to attract direct flights from key North American and European gateways, “has sparked the interest of major carriers from the U.S., Canada and Europe along with leading hotel and resort companies who are taking a closer look at investment opportunities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Beache noted.

“The Argyle International Airport Terminal has been carefully sized to accommodate our expected growth in passenger traffic over both the medium and long terms. Tourism is and is likely to remain our main foreign exchange earner and this investment in major infrastructure development will allow us to attract direct flights from major U.S., Canadian and European cities,” Beache said.  The Argyle International Airport will sit on roughly 175 acres of land, with a paved runway 9,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. The airport is designed to accommodate jets as large as Boeing 747-400s.