Sealy: Issues with Airport systems a result of bad political management

By Jenique Belgrave

Former Minister of Tourism and International Transport Richard Sealy is “baffled” at the conditions of systems at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), claiming that the problems are a result of bad political management.

His assertion came in an interview with Barbados TODAY on Tuesday, a day after Director of Engineering at the GAIA Karen Walkes disclosed that several systems were outdated and in need of an upgrade.

She outlined that scanners and generators were among the critical items that needed to “commence and complete replacement during this year to ensure the continued operations of the airport”.

“We would have been deferring replacements and major maintenance at the airport for quite a period of time and many of our systems are actually past their original planned use of life,” she said as she responded to questions in the well of the House of Assembly when debate on the Appropriation Bill 2023 began.

Sealy, who is the Democratic Labour Party’s incoming spokesperson on tourism, international affairs and international business, said he was “appalled and baffled at what I’m hearing about the Grantley Adams International Airport”. 

“I can tell you certainly for as long as I was minister, and even prior to being minister when I was in Cabinet, that that facility received every single cent that it needed as far as having to function effectively,” he said.

Sealy said that when he left office in 2018, GAIA Inc. had $30 million in retained earnings and a warehouse with $3 million in spare parts.

“When I left office, they used to take care of themselves and now all of a sudden I am hearing that there’s a maintenance crisis. Now I am hearing about runway lights that are not working on a runway that was resurfaced only months ago. Something drastically wrong has taken place since 2018 and I am not accepting that it is some long-standing issue,” he asserted.

The former minister also questioned the status of a number of infrastructural works that had been slated for the airport during his time, including the creation of a photovoltaic farm which would have saved GAIA $2 million annually.

Sealy also questioned the delay in appointing a concessionaire, insisting this was leading to delays in airport improvements.

“I think right now we are starved for resources. The Government is waiting for the concessionaire to come in and, meanwhile, we have all sorts of challenges at the airport. But we cannot wait for them. We have to keep the facility in tip-top shape and it is not good enough what is going on there,” he said.

In 2021, the Government postponed the tender process for the proposed public-private partnership at the airport. The winning bidder was to be provided with a concession of 30 years to operate and maintain the facility while the Government retains ownership. 

Jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb