John Greif II Municipal Airport

The concept of establishing an international airport in north San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, is not new. Although no concrete steps have been taken to...

On Wednesday, February 19th, a ceremony was held in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, to officially unveil the upgrades to the John Greif II Municipal Airport. The Belize Airports Authority (BAA) has made significant improvements to one of Belize’s busiest airports, including thermoplastic markings, new taxiway lights, a new holding bay area, modern LED runway lights, and complete resurfacing of the runway. These enhancements are expected to make take-offs and landings safer and facilitate smoother and more efficient aircraft movement.

The John Greif II Municipal Airport in San Pedro Town underwent significant upgrades in December 2024, enhancing its capacity and safety features for peak tourism season. This project, which had a budget of approximately $3.7 million, was a collaborative effort involving the Belize Airports Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, and private sector partners such as Maya Island Air and Tropic Air, along with a grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

For the past years, the issue of traffic congestion in the downtown area of San Pedro has been a constant challenge to tackle. The cause has been attributed to congestion in specific areas, such as the local airport and water taxi terminals. As such, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) is implementing restrictions for golf cart rentals at these ports of entry, prohibiting them from parking, loading, unloading, and soliciting business. These restrictions did not sit well with some stakeholders, who felt targeted, describing these as unfair and harmful for their companies. A call was also made to reconsider part of the regulation and further investigate the issue of taxi drivers taking up street space and overcharging.

The constant development of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye has recently seen the decimation of large areas of mangroves. Most of these cases take place on private properties, clearing the mangroves for development projects. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) said they are starting to investigate some of these clearings as a permit is required before altering mangroves. These trees are considered highly important for coastal areas in Belize as they serve not only as a nursing ground for juvenile fish and fight climate change but also as a reliable natural buffer against natural disasters like hurricanes.

A comprehensive multi-sector and multi-scale diagnosis of the sustainable development of Ambergris Caye, particularly the northern part of the island, is being developed by the international company IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture SAU with the partnership of the Inter-American Development Bank. This project seeks to develop an action and zoning plan for the balanced development of the island, considering the vulnerability to natural resources and the safest way to continue growing without affecting Ambergris Caye's carrying capacity. The analysis presents the current conditions of San Pedro and recommends a sustainable plan spanning to 2045 to have the most negligible impact on the natural resources sustaining the island's economy.

On Tuesday, June 13th, a group of stakeholders met with local authorities at the Sunbreeze Hotel conference room to discuss the future infrastructure of the island and the improvement of services. The meeting provided important feedback, which will be used to create a better development plan for areas like northern Ambergris Caye, which continues to develop at a fast pace.

Valentine’s Day on February 14th is all about love and sharing. In San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, the occasion included deals at the different businesses in town and student participation in a parade.