Airport car park reopening faces delay due to technical glitch
The BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) has experienced a setback in its planned rollout of a new automated parking system at the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport, pushing back the start date to mid-June.
The new system — initially scheduled to go live on June 1 following a temporary parking amnesty — has been delayed by technical problems, BVIAA Managing Director Kurt Menal confirmed in an interview with ZBVI Radio.
“We’re having some technical difficulties, so we’ve pushed the start date to the 15th of June,” Menal stated. “The guys just updated me this morning that they had those technical difficulties, so we’re forced to push it.”
To bridge the gap, the Authority plans to implement a temporary manual fee collection process. “We will be putting in some type of measures to manually collect, because I think from what they’ve told me, the [control] arms are working. It’s just the general system itself that is not altogether,” Menal explained.
The delay comes after the BVIAA granted an amnesty period allowing vehicle owners to remove cars from the airport’s parking lot without incurring fees or penalties until 31 May. The parking system had been out of service for months due to obsolescence, resulting in free parking for travellers.
The BVIAA is also preparing to commission a new standoff zone to improve airport traffic flow and enhance security. Both the upgraded parking system and the standoff zone are expected to launch together.
“The implementation of the new parking system and this standoff zone, they would be commissioned in tandem. So by the 15th, both would be in place,” Menal said.
Once operational, the changes will alter airport access patterns.
“You would expect to enter, you come into the airport via the normal route, but then you take the next right and an immediate left into the car park near to where the taxi driver’s booth is, and then you would drive heading east, and the parking, the drop-off zone would be along that wall there,” Menal explained.
The BVIAA is also planning to install a canopy to protect passengers from rain while using the new standoff zone. “That is actually an issue that has been brought up from the beginning, and we’re making plans to actually develop or implement a canopy in the area,” Menal stated.
The parking system upgrade is part of a broader modernisation of the airport, which includes plans to lengthen the runway to accommodate larger aircraft.
Copyright 2025 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Surprise!!
Can you imagine if they tried to extend the airport!!!
You are never around when something positive happens. Always lurking awaiting the most basic BS so you can post nonsense. Technical difficulties only happen in the BVI, I didn’t realize that.
Know why you are Fed Up. Can you let me know when something positive is going to happen so I can be sure to be there.
Date of the next Government sponsored concert maybe if you think they are positive things.
OR make a list of positive things and we can think about those. I think one thing could still be considered a list. Come on something positive. Giver it a try.
I should have made it clear, technical difficulties can happen anywhere. Sorry if ou were mislead.
The good news is we only had $5Million in the Bank of Asia. That the sort of positives you talking about?
So they removed the curbside pick up and drop off for the airport. I swear its azzes running this place. I have traveled near and far and have never seen such a thing. ONLY IN THE BVI!
Milking the Cow…
That’s what the highly inconvenient and non-working fees for parking at the airport have been for a decade. And there is ZERO security.
I’d rather park outside and give the Airports Authority nothing for their valuable service.
Don’t worry, technical difficulties just means they haven’t been able to squander the full million dollars that the project will end up costing, they will get there by mid month though then it will be on to phase 2, the canopy.
Let me guess – the technical difficulties are because they:
1. Owe the supplier fees?
and/ or;
2. Didn’t maintain it?
Only airport in the world that charges a fee just to drop off or pick up. Very inconvienent
As usual. Can’t do anything right.