By Nathan Roper

The Kingston sign at the Norman Manley International Airport, following the completion of its Mural Painting (SOURCE: Olivia Hutchinson, OUR Today)

Once dominated by the iconic Air Jamaica fuselage, the roundabout leading to the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston has completed its major rebranding initiative.

It has been re-christened as ‘NMIA Flag Roundabout’.

This official unveiling took place at an elaborate ceremony held on Friday (June 27), hosted by the PAC Kingston Airport Limited (PACKAL), operators of the airport serving Jamaica’s capital. 

“This is not just a piece of public infrastructure,” said Donaree Muirhead, technical assistant in the Ministry of Transport, speaking on behalf of Minister Daryl Vaz.

“It is a powerful and purposeful work of art, one that tells a story, makes a statement, and lifts the Jamaican spirit. This marks a significant time in our history, not only in the advancement of the Norman Manley International Airport, but also in our journey to create spaces that reflect the depth and dynamism of the Jamaican identity.”

Prior to the unveiling, the NMIA roundabout’s main feature was the iconic ‘tail’ from an Air Jamaica plane, which had been present for several years before being removed in 2023 as part of the airport’s modernisation and redesign initiative. The removal of the Air Jamaica tail was met with significant pushback, as several individuals raised concerns and insisted on its return.

However, Minister Grange countered by claiming that the tail is suffering from rust, and will in time be cleaned, restored and housed somewhere the public can have access to.

In its place, a new mural painting of the Norman Manley International Airport’s sign was commissioned by Kingston Creative. Currently, the non-profit organisation is synonymous with the Water Lane Art District, which is breathing new life into the once-neglected downtown business district of the capital.

For the NMIA sign, Kingston Creative selected lead artist Matthew McCarthy and his team for the job.

“I am not a public speaker, but this is very important to me,” McCarthy said. “I had a close friend, Dave Roper, who met with an accident and died by this roundabout, so when I got this opportunity and began working, I thought of him. More than that, it signifies the continued growth and development of not just us individually, but also the country at large.”

Both Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby and Culture Minister Olivia Grange echoed his words, with the former stating his delight that the decoration and artwork had been done solely by local Jamaicans and not outsourced to foreigners. The culture minister heaped particular praise on McCarthy and his work, also noting with pride that he was the 2019 Prime Minister Youth awardee for excellence.

Culture Minister Olivia Grange went on to highlight the key importance of art and its value in projecting the history and spirit of the Jamaican people, expressing her thanks for the work of both PAC Kingston Airport Limited and Kingston Creative in making this entire project possible.

“Transformation of our spaces is not the work of the government alone, and this stands as a beautiful testament to the power of partnerships. I recognise in this regard the active and collaborative role of Kingston Creative, which has been an active and key stakeholder in so many spaces. We will continue in this tradition of utilising vibrant mediums to transmit our stories through art, visually translating the rhythmic beats of our hearts.”