08/06/2026
Interim Executive Director Ava Penn of the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) released a statement today regarding the Authority's public-private partnership (P3) program to develop its airports. Penn stated, “VIPA understands that our community has a vested interest in the Territory's airports. VIPA has worked diligently to create this plan in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders at the airports, including the airlines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), airport tenants, and VIPA’s P3 partner, SkyCity, which was selected through a competitive procurement process.
Currently, the project is still in the active procurement process to finalize related agreements with SkyCity. In addition, coordination and consultation with the airlines serving the U.S. Virgin Islands, who are key stakeholders in this process, are ongoing.
VIPA has long been in communication with the airlines regarding terminal modernization in the Territory, dating back to the 2018 planning and design charrettes for the Cyril E. King Airport and the Phase 1 Expansion of the hold room at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, completed in December 2021. Since December 2022, VIPA has engaged in numerous ongoing discussions with the airlines regarding the Authority’s P3 initiative, and we highly value their participation and input. We encourage all parties involved in the process to take part in the final stages of planning and the delivery of this transformative project.
VIPA will join SkyCity to host a series of workshops to share its plans with the community in the near future. We look forward to sharing more information regarding the improvements to our airports with the public as negotiations conclude in the coming months, and we are excited about what the future holds for the gateways to our islands.”
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