San Pedro Town Council Opposes Closing John Greif II Municipal Airport as BTIA Stakeholders Reject Proposed New Airport on Ambergris Caye

A proposal to build a new airport in northern Ambergris Caye, Belize, and the possible closure of the existing John Greif II Municipal Airport in San Pedro has drawn opposition from local stakeholders and the San Pedro Town Council. The Government of Belize says the current airport is approaching its operational capacity and that a new facility would help meet the island's growing aviation demand. Discussions have included a possible opening in 2030 and a longer runway able to accommodate larger regional aircraft, private jets and charter flights. Officials say the project remains under discussion and that no decision has been made to close or relocate the existing airport.

At a San Pedro Chapter meeting of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) on Monday, November 2, held at Sunbreeze Hotel, stakeholders voiced opposition to building a new airport. BTIA National President Efren Perez and local chapter head Melanie Paz presided, and Area Representative Andre Perez attended. Participants called for greater attention to infrastructure, traffic congestion, garbage collection, wastewater management, environmental conservation, housing, health services and public safety, arguing that investment in a new airport could instead address these priorities.

Tropic Air chief executive Maximillian "Max" Greif said moving airline operations to northern Ambergris Caye would affect tourism and businesses established around the current airport. He said the government had encouraged local airlines to consider larger aircraft, including 70-seat ATR 72 twin-engine planes, to reduce island-mainland flights, but that operating them on the short route would not be economically feasible: "The aircraft is not built to fly 15 minutes." Greif also said flight operations at San Pedro airport have fallen 17% over the past eight years because of efficiency investments. Andre Perez said public consultation was necessary and expressed reservations about closing the existing airport, disputing suggestions that the project had already been approved. Some attendees said his position on the central government's proposal remained unclear.

On Tuesday, November 3, the San Pedro Town Council issued an official position stating it voted to oppose closing the existing airport and would advocate that position to the Government of Belize and other authorities. The council said the new airport is one component of a broader development concept for Ambergris Caye and that numerous planning, technical and regulatory requirements must be met before any formal consideration.

The central government also issued a statement on Tuesday describing the proposal as an initiative to meet future demand, with the Belize Airport Authority (BAA) aiming to develop aviation infrastructure supporting San Pedro's growth while improving safety, efficiency, connectivity and economic opportunity. It said any transition would follow careful planning and consultation with airlines, regulators, businesses and residents. Briceño said the San Pedro municipal airport cannot be expanded, so larger planes cannot use it, and that local airlines have been involved in discussions. He said the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is studying how and where to develop a new airport and must complete its study and share the findings with him before the plans are presented to airlines, the town council and other stakeholders. Stakeholders said they had not been shown supporting data or a traffic study. "It's a decision that we may have to make, but we are not there yet," Briceño told the media.

Island airports with a single short sector to the mainland tend to be shaped by the economics of that sector. Greif's point about the ATR 72 illustrates it: aircraft sized for longer stage lengths do not pay back on a 15-minute hop, so a longer runway does not by itself change what scheduled carriers can profitably fly. Private jets and charters are the segment a longer runway would open up most directly, and that is a different customer base from the commuter operators now anchoring the field.

The airport's location also carries value beyond the runway. Hotels, ground services and other businesses have grown up around the existing site, and relocating airline operations to the north of the island would redistribute that activity. That is why the local council and tourism stakeholders are treating the question as one of town economics rather than aviation capacity alone, and why the sequencing of consultation matters as much as the final decision.

The next milestone is the IDB study, which Briceño said must be completed and shared with him before anything is presented to airlines, the town council and other stakeholders. Until its findings and a traffic study reach those parties, the council's formal position and the stakeholders' objections are likely to be tested against data they have not yet seen.