The Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ), established in 1974 under the Airports Authority Act, is a self-financed statutory body responsible for developing, operating, and maintaining a safe, secure, and efficient airport system across Jamaica. The AAJ owns the island’s two major international airports, Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston and Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, and manages four domestic aerodromes: Tinson Pen, Ken Jones, Negril, and the Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) in St. Mary, which was upgraded from a domestic aerodrome in 2010/11.
In keeping with the Government’s airport privatization policy, AAJ has entered long-term concession agreements with private operators to enhance efficiency and attract investment. MBJ Airports Limited operates SIA under a 30-year concession, while NMIA Airports Limited, a wholly owned AAJ subsidiary, manages NMIA under a similar arrangement ahead of its full privatization to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP). The AAJ continues to oversee these concessions, operate IFIA and the remaining domestic aerodromes, and lead the strategic planning and modernization of Jamaica’s airport infrastructure.