Palisadoes Airport officially became Palisadoes International Airport on August 17, 1959, with the opening of a state-of-the-art 7,600 ft runway capable of accommodating large jets like the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. The new facility, expected to relieve Montego Bay's airport of handling larger aircraft, was inaugurated with a British West Indian Airlines courtesy flight across the island. With the runway now operational and a new terminal building set to open next year, Jamaica is poised to have two modern international airports, enhancing its global connectivity.

Published Tuesday, August 18, 1959

New Palisadoes runway opens

PALISADOES Airport grew into its title of the Palisadoes International Airport  on August 17, 1959, when the new 1,600 ft. runway with adequate takeoff and landing facilities to accommodate Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, and Comet Jet airliners at maximum loads was officially opened to air traffic.

To mark the opening, British West Indian Airlines took about 40 passengers on a one-hour courtesy flight across the island and back in one of their Viscount aircrafts.

Among the passengers were the Minister of Communications and Works, the Hon. A.G.S. Coombs; the Acting Mayor, Mr. Walter Sinclair; Ministry and KSAC personnel Mr. Kenrith Saunders Acting Director of Civil Aviation, representatives of International Aeradio Ltd.;, HM Customs, the Immigration Department, the Public Health Department, Post Office, Shell, and BWIA staff.

Airborne, the Minister and the Acting Mayor both made short statements congratulating the Government on the completion of the runway, and that they were looking forward in anticipation of the opening of the new terminal buildings now under construction.

Speaking on behalf of the Government, Mr. Coombs said how pleased he was to see the new runway in operation, offering facilities to any type of air traffic that would land in Jamaica. He was looking forward to the opening of the new building next, he said, which would make the Palisadoes Airport second to none in the West Indies.

The Acting Mayor, the city's representative expressing similar sentiments, congratulated the Ministry and the Government “on a mammoth job well done”.

The new runway will replace the old 5,300 ft airfield built during the early part of the World War II and has been constructed on a dredged bank within the lagoon waters of Kingston Harbour.

The reclaimed land is about 310 acres and took about 10 million tons of gravel dredged from the harbour bed to form the peninsula about 5 feet above mean sea level. The reclamation was carried out for the Government by the McWilliams Dredging Company of New Orleans.

Almost three years ago, the Government entered into a contract for the construction of the new runway with John Mowlem and Co. Ltd. commissioning Sir Alexander Gibbs and Partners to advise on the design and to supervise the construction.

The runway site is 1.230 ft. wide and projects from the Palisadoes peninsula into the harbour for a distance of about 8,600 ft. The runway itself is 7,600 ft. long by 150 ft. wide. Taxiways are 75 ft wide. There are three exit taxiways designed to enable aircraft to clear the runway at high speed.

The pavements are designed to carry 300,000lbs, dual tandem wheel aircraft with tyre pressures of up to 200lbs per sq. in.

All this information was contained in the report of passengers on yesterday's courtesy flight. A notice has been issued by the Acting Director of Civil Aviation announcing the closing of the old runway to all air traffic, and details of the operating procedures governing the use of the new runway are also contained in the report to passengers.

The new runway will be used with the existing terminal building and aircraft parking area and is linked  to the existing terminal area by a taxiway.

It is expected that the new terminal building will be completed next year when the island will have two modern international airports, and it is hoped relieve Montego Bay's handling of all large aircraft coming to Jamaica. Construction is now being done by Messrs. A. D. Scott Ltd., and the final cost is estimated at £500,000.

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