Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, has officially launched its new terminal expansion, heralding a new era of passenger-centric experience.

The expansion marks a major step towards serving the 6.9 million passengers anticipated to travel through the gateway in 2035, based on pre-COVID forecasts. The project, which started in 2017 but was delayed by the pandemic, is geared towards transforming the passenger experience and aiding the airport’s future growth and success.

The expanded terminal, which was officially launched last week boasts a new 6,600 sqm walkthrough duty free store operated by Dufry, has been designed to optimise footfall. The planning approach used overcame the retail visibility barriers by expanding and reconfiguring the space (6,600sqm), including re-setting the guest path,to ensure 100 per cent exposure to the commercial space on their journey to the gates.

The Design Solution (TDS), which was hired to execute the design of the expanded space, created a new design ethos and design guidelines for use across the whole commercial space to drive a cohesive passenger experience. The expanded retail and Food & Beverage (F&B) experience is complemented by additional seating, improved natural lighting and a terminal-wide focus on a sense of place emphasizing Jamaica’s natural beauty, heritage, and local products (such as Blue Mountain coffee).

New additions to customer experience

At the start of the retail space is the terminal’s new walkthrough Dufry store while the centre piece of the new F&B experience is the TDS-designed Bob Marley – One Love Restaurant, currently exclusive to Sangster International and scheduled to open in February 2023. TDS designed elements across commercial spaces, operational areas, the new Dufry-operated walkthrough duty free store, and design and branding for a new F&B concept exclusive to the airport.

According to TDS, the core commercial planning challenge was that passengers split north and south in the duty free shop, passing through two separate commercial zones on their way to the two departure piers. Analysis by Pragma Consulting, working with TDS on the initial planning, suggested that around 40-45 per cent of footfall was being lost.

TDS Managing Director Robbie Gill explained that “at Sangster International we have managed to create a startling increase in passenger exposure to the commercial offer ensuring that when they experience these exciting new spaces they are highly engaged and convinced to spend more”.

Continuing, he argued: “Airports worldwide face increasing pressure to enhance the whole passenger experience but they need to achieve this while also driving operational and commercial performance; that is exactly the strategy adopted at Sangster. A key aspect is that many airports operating with older terminals worldwide need to take new approaches to the traveller flow. Too often, airports focus predominantly on creating new retail and F&B experiences but this must be supported by a planning strategy that optimizes flow into the commercial spaces to make them fully effective.”

Further expansion coming in 2023

MBJ Airports Limited, which operates the Sangster airport said more expansion is coming in 2023.

According to MBJ Airports CEO Shane Munroe, “MBJ’s broad development focus across the whole airport continues in 2023, with plans for the expansion of the Immigration Hall, Outbound Security area, Check-in area and landside roads. By the end of 2022 traffic at Sangster International is forecast to achieve around 92 per cent of 2019 levels, which was the busiest year in the airport’s history, and a number of new routes are being planned, including additional connections to the USA and Europe”.

He noted that “TDS has been a sustained and highly effective specialist design support to our long-term development strategy at Sangster International”.

He added: “They have shared our commitment to creating a unique and authentic expression of Jamaica for our passengers as part of a memorable airport experience, while ensuring that we optimise the revenue potential across our commercial spaces.”