Caribbean Consortium Likely to Operate Norman Manley Airport

The board of directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the state's tourism agency, announced today that George Szigeti has been selected as its next president and CEO.

A consortium of Grupo Puntacana, Jamaica Producers Group and the GB Group have been selected as one of the prequalified firms to pass on to the second stage in the privatization process of the Norman Manley International Airport.

The three firms joined forces to put forward a unified proposal and represent a dynamic Caribbean group of companies that offer the ideal platform to enhance and promote the building of business relations within the countries in the region.

Currently the NMIA is owned by the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) and is operated by the NMIA Airports Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AAJ. The Government initiated the qualification process for the airport privatization in March 2015.

The participation of Grupo Puntacana in this consortium makes the proposal even stronger being the biggest airport operator in the Caribbean with approximately 100 flights a day.

The Energy Division of GB Group, as the largest and most reliable aviation fuels supplier within the Caribbean region, will be able to bring the highest international standards to the Norman Manley airport supporting the rise in the efficiency of its operations. GB currently has operations in Punta Cana (PUJ), Santiago - Cibao (STI), Samaná (AZS), Montego Bay (MBJ), Kingston (KIN), St Marteen (SXM), Port au Prince (PAP), and Cap Haitian (CAP).

"GB Group is constantly striving to improve operational excellence & dependability. Our aviation division supplies over 120 million gallons of aviation fuels across some of the region’s busiest airports. We are confident that we will also have the opportunity of sharing our expertise and best practices at Norman Manley airport,” said Mr. Gilbert Bigio, Chairman of GBG.