The Cayman Islands Airports Authority is inviting contractors to bid for an expansion of aircraft parking and taxiway infrastructure at Owen Roberts International Airport, as the airport seeks to accommodate rising private aviation traffic and ease congestion during peak periods.
The request for proposals, issued on 15 Oct., seeks bids for a commercial aircraft apron, an overflow parking apron for private planes at its general aviation terminal and a new taxiway connecting aircraft movement areas.
According to the tender document, the authority aims to begin construction in the second quarter of 2027, subject to government approvals.
The project is intended to increase parking capacity for both commercial and private planes, while improving aircraft movements on the ground.
The authority warned that existing capacity could become constrained during periods of heavy traffic, “resulting in apron congestion, inefficient aircraft turnaround, potential operational delays, and increased pressure on available parking areas.”
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Cayman’s air arrivals have been reaching near record levels this year, with the Islands heading into the upcoming high season. By the end of August this year, 11% more stayover visitors (361,192) had landed in Cayman than in the first eight months of 2025, when 325,456 arrived.
Meanwhile, private jet arrivals have nearly doubled at Owen Roberts International Airport since 2014, with numbers breaking records over the past two years. Government is exploring a public-private partnership arrangement to redevelop and operate the general aviation facility to accommodate private aircraft, with the Cayman Islands Airports Authority issuing a request for expressions of interest earlier this year.
The latest request for proposals seeks bids for a main contract, which covers a new concrete apron with stands for three Code C aircraft, a classification that includes narrow-body passenger jets. Two additional components are listed as bid alternatives – an overflow general aviation apron with two concrete parking pads, and a Code E taxiway designed to accommodate larger, wide-bodied aircraft, like Boeing 777s and 787s, or Airbus A330s.
The tender also includes access roads, drainage, airfield lighting, security fencing and underground utilities.
The new taxiway would provide an alternative route between commercial and general aviation parking areas, reducing the need for aircraft to wait on the ground. It would also provide another route when the existing Code E taxiway is unavailable because of maintenance, damage or other disruptions.
The bid document instructed that construction must be carried out while the airport remains operational, with temporary night-time closures permitted for specified work connecting the new taxiway to the existing parallel taxiway.
The tender requires substantial excavation, rock fill, asphalt and concrete paving, alongside new drainage and electrical infrastructure.
The procurement follows years of plans to upgrade general aviation facilities at Owen Roberts International Airport, where limited parking and an ageing terminal have been identified as obstacles to accommodating private aircraft and attracting high-spending visitors.
A 2023 airport master plan and outline business case outlined a wider, multi-year programme covering all three Cayman Islands airports, with an estimated cost of nearly $660 million. The plan envisaged a new general aviation terminal and expanded apron space at Owen Roberts that could accommodate more than 40 private aircraft simultaneously during peak periods.
The Cayman Islands Airports Authority has said the broader general aviation redevelopment is intended to improve security, customer service and aircraft parking capacity while reducing operational inefficiencies.
No estimated contract value was specified in the tender information provided.
The tender document noted that bids must be submitted through the government’s Bonfire online procurement portal by 27 Jan. next year. Bidders are expected to be notified of the outcome on 8 March, with contract negotiations scheduled to follow and an agreement anticipated by 29 March 2027.