BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 21, 2022 
At a Cabinet meeting held this Tuesday, the Minister of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, Hon. Andre Perez, proposed the transformation of the Philip Goldson International Airport – and Belize City by extension—into an aviation hub city.

These are areas in which a cluster of interconnected facilities and flights permits a concentration of passenger traffic and flight operations. The term also indicates the connectivity of one airport to others across the world. Airports with high flight frequency are considered effective aviation hubs, and now a feasibility study will be done and a roadmap developed that will chart a path to possibly transforming the country into a new aviation hub destination. Within four weeks, the roadmap is to be presented to Cabinet.

In Belize, the PGIA already has a number of connecting flights hourly and was ranked the 5th busiest airport in Central America in 2018. Besides the international airlines flying in and out of the country, a number of domestic flights are also available. Small airlines like Tropic Air provide flights to Guatemala City, Cancun, Roatan, and San Salvador. 

The PGIA has a runway and apron of approximately 9,900 feet, and two terminals that host 12 international airlines with 7 departure gates. A total of 8 cargo companies are also on the compound. The prospect of Belize’s international airport becoming an aviation hub is promising, since accessibility and ease of travel to our country will likely increase the number of tourists visiting Belize, which will result in more revenue for the country. 

During the Cabinet meeting, the Civil Aviation Ministry also gave an update on the technical support committed to Belize by COCENSA and the Federal Aviation Administration in preparation for the 2023 International Civil Aviation Organization audits.