Aerial shot f the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas By. THE VIRIGN ISLANDS PORT AUTHORITY
With the travel season still in full-flight, the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) has issued updates on the status of operations at the Cyril E. King Airport Terminal and at the Edward W. Blyden Marine Terminal on St. Thomas, and addressed travelers’ complaints regarding early departures at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix.
Henry E. Rohlsen Airport Terminal, St. Croix
American Airlines customers have complained to VIPA about a three-hour wait time before being processed for early-morning flights departing from the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix. The authority said it's working jointly with airline representatives and Customs and Border Patrol to extend their hours of operations at adjust for the delays. The authority provided no additional information about the cause for the extended wait time.
Cyril E. King Airport Terminal, St. Thomas
Contractors continue to mitigate an environmental issue found during construction at the Cyril E. King Airport Terminal on St. Thomas. Special equipment has been imported to resolve the problem, said VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe. U.S. Customs officers have been temporarily relocated from Checkpoint B to Checkpoint A in the terminal to screen passengers, he said.
Checkpoint A is a smaller checkpoint with fewer stations. This will cause the screening process to take longer than normal, so travelers are advised to arrive at the airport three to four hours prior to their scheduled departure time, especially during the hours of noon through 5 p.m. VIPA said regular progress reports will be given on the repairs, the authority said.
Edward W. Blyden Iv Marine Terminal, St. Thomas
Similar environmental conditions were discovered during repairs at the Blyden Terminal, as well. VIPA relocated Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers last week to the Urman Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook while the matter was mitigated, according to VIPA. All the repairs have been completed. CBP officers will return to the Blyden Terminal and all operations will resume as normal by February 27, said Mr. Dowe.
VIPA also reminded the public that it has been making significant progress in improving its facilities, however, during the construction phase, unforeseen repairs may need to be urgently addressed.
