The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands is launching projects to expand and modernize the airports in St. Thomas and St. Croix at a cost of $230 million.
Plans for the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas will include converting the second floor of the terminal into a passenger waiting and gate area, installation of jet bridges, construction of a parking garage and the addition of a ferry terminal that would speed travelers to downtown, the east end and the island of St. John as well as the neighboring British Virgin Islands.
The airport terminal was completed in 1989 and has had no major renovations since then.
"The terminal building is undersized for the deplanements that occur today," said David Mapp, executive director of the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA).
On St. Croix, plans call for more baggage-scanning machines, new concessions and retail shops, expanded TSA screening areas and jet bridges.
The St. Croix terminal was completed in the late 1990s.
The FAA's Airport Improvement Program, a federally funded initiative that provides grants to public agencies for the planning and development of public use airports, will cover 90% of the cost of the expansion projects on St. Thomas and St. Croix with VIPA paying the remaining 10%, according to Mapp.
"This marks the beginning of a long process that will revitalize our tourism product," Mapp said, although no timeline for completion was given.