Saint Lucia: Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority host representatives of World Bank on a Technical Mission

Saint Lucia: The Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) hosted representatives of the World Bank on a Technical Mission during a three-day evaluation of the Caribbean Regional Air Transport Connectivity Project (CATCOP). The assessment endeavoured to review the project’s implementation phase.

In May 2020, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved the multi-country program to enhance regional connectivity by improving air transport safety and airport infrastructure resilience to natural disasters.

“The project will put Saint Lucia technologically on par and an infrastructural level with current advances in air navigation and airport infrastructure. It will constitute one component of SLASPA’s wider Hewanorra International Airport Redevelopment Programme,” the Head of the Project Implementation Unit, Paul Mondesir, said.

During the assessment, the team examined the progress and stages of the project, facilitating inspections of the Hewanorra International Airport’s (HIA) Runway and the Aeronautical Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (ARFFS) Facility located at the HIA. Noteworthy was the ongoing COVID-19 Response Strategic Study undertaken to enhance SLASPA’s operational and financial resiliency in another pandemic or similar occurrences.

Once executed, CATCOP will; improve operational safety and navigation efficiency of air transport in Saint Lucia, enhance the resilience of the island’s airport infrastructure to natural disasters, and strengthen its capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an emergency.

The three-day assessment concluded with presentations to the Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries of Finance and Infrastructure.