Airport justifies pick-up and drop-off changes

| 30/08/2021 | 129 Comments
Cayman News Service
Owen Roberts International Airport departures

(CNS): Following the widespread public backlash over the new traffic flow at the airports, which started Monday, bringing an end to kerbside drop-off and pick-up for private vehicles, officials from the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) have said the changes are due to security reasons. Only authorised public transport will be permitted to pull up in front of the main terminals as these are vetted vehicles as per international rules.

“As airport security continues to evolve globally, the Cayman Islands Airports Authority is committed to mitigating risk and providing an excellent airport experience,” said officials in a second press release about the changes, which that have not been well received.

“These changes are a necessity in order to comply with International Civil Aviation regulatory requirements that specify that unknown, or ‘unvetted’, vehicles are not permitted to be within 30 meters of any Airport terminal building.”

Officials said that taxis, pre-booked bus operators and limousines have gone through a rigorous airport and public transport screening and licensing process.

Given the concerns people have about getting into the terminals in poor weather with heavy luggage, the airport said that porters will be available to assist passengers with their luggage, or passengers may use the airport luggage carts to carry their luggage to terminal at no cost to them. “Airport Customer Service personnel will provide umbrellas to assist passengers in inclement weather conditions,” the CIAA stated.

While parking fees are being waived for September while people get used to the new system, in October drivers will be expected to park and pay when collecting passengers, though a five minute drop off zone has been created in the short term parking area, where there will not be a fee.

However, people are concerned that five minutes may not be long enough and that this could create queues as private vehicles will have to wait for a ticket and will be entering into the car park alongside traffic using the short-term parking, as well congestion inside the parking area on entry and exit as people queue to pay to leave.

Map Vehicular Traffic Flow for ORIA, effective 30 August 2021


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Category: Local News, Travel

Comments (129)

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  1. ann says:

    They need to move the existing car parks further back and make a covered drive through outside of the 30 meter limit, so that pax can be dropped off/picked up under cover

    what a mess!!!

  2. anonymous says:

    Chicago Ohare airport allows curbside drop off. So why are there rules for Cayman regarding this and not such a large airport as Chicago?

    • Anonymous says:

      Simple, they are in a sovereign independent country. We are not sovereign but an overseas territory of the sovereign country named the United Kingdom. So we have to do what our mother country says we have to do.

    • Bs Mr. Anderson says:

      So does Miami. What about the handicap. Isn’t this a Breach of the constitution?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Do international aviation regulatory requirements dictate that airport staff parking be immediately adjacent to the arrivals exit? If they are genuinely interested in a welcome experience for arrivals, MOVE THE STAFF PARKING!!!

  4. Anonymous says:

    Stupid is as stupid does. This makes sense to them. What does that tell you?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Has the CIAA received legal advice on the need to have the restrictions in place? Also, does the CIAA currently comply with all of the international rules or just the rules that will help them pay for projects that were significantly over budget?

  6. Anonymous says:

    100m spent on the new cayman airport and it is third world. What a waste. Usual governemnt incompetence. Parking meters don’t even work when you try to pay. At heathrow you can drive up and drop off at the door to terminal 5, a 30 second walk from the BA check in desks. But not in cayman. Pathetic.

  7. Anonymous says:

    31 @ 9:01 am – Perhaps Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups may not want to attack Cayman but at given times there are aircraft with US and British flags sitting on the tarmac. Those and their passengers would be the targets.

    “Soft” targets like our airport could have them licking their lips.

    Nonetheless, this rule has LONG been a contingency but ONLY if the threat level rises. What CIAA needs to explain is: DID the UK actually determine that the threat level for Cayman and other OTs rise recently? Perhaps the Afghanistan situation prompted this? Tell us CIAA!

    That seems to remain a mystery so, these actions could seem unjustified at this time.

  8. patsy rowan says:

    Maybe this is the answer to the fear of COVID when we open. No one will want to come here because of this insanity

  9. Anonymous says:

    So why isn’t it implemented in Caymsn Brac?

  10. Anonymous says:

    I understand the frustration but unfortunately this is the international reality. You bet, in the uk, as a private vechicle, you cannot pull up to the curbside and pickup or dropoff passengers. Security is still a new concept for us but we still must comply to international rules be that what tbey are.

    • Anonymous says:

      Go live in the UK, we are just fine.

    • Anonymous says:

      How can you compare Heathrow to our little airport made for sunny days only?

      This is a farce and waste of money. It will not work.

      Build covered areas outside the airport so that people don’t get soaked particularly this time of year.

    • Anonymous says:

      Except you can do exactly that – so if this is an international regulation as the CIAA suggests, how come it doesn’t apply there. Or in Miami, or New York , or ….

      Someone is telling porkie pies.

    • Anonymous says:

      You actually can do curbside drop off and pick up in the UK 🙂

  11. Anonymous says:

    That is the best they can do for an excuse…geesh we can fly one hour to Miami and either get picked up or dropped off kerbside at the airport yet on this little island we have to waste all of this money to inconvenience people.

    So tell me on a busy rainy Saturday how many staff will they need with umbrellas to assist people. Extra staff, extra people and more money. You can’t make this $hit up.

  12. Anonymous says:

    This is the “new guard” CIAA management appointed by the Lodge-controlled Board under the PPM! “Experts” with no previous airport experience – senior management appointed from telephone companies, RCIPS rejects, and assorted opportunists CIAA’s pay scales are great!)

    The professionalism and institutional knowledge at CIAA departed some years ago!!

    • Anonymous says:

      So true! The PACT government needs to clean house. These were the same people in place that overspent on the airport and couldn’t even figure out how to get people from the curbside to the terminal without getting wet, that after spending in excess of $1M.

      Time for some heads to roll otherwise the same old practices will remain.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Referendi!

  14. Anonymous says:

    Try paying with a CC at the parking lot exit. Hasn’t worked since the day it was installed.
    Total Fiasco, LOL

  15. Anonymous says:

    Looks like copies of the Security Manual can be requested from the International Civil Aviation Organization but only for justifiable reasons. Looks like these rules aren’t available to the general public. I have tried searching for the 30m rule.

    https://www.icao.int/security/sfp/pages/securitymanual.aspx

  16. DANIEL JOHNS says:

    Wow, millions spent on developing an airport, and ohhhhh yeah we forgot to make sure people can get in and out in a timely fashion. Guess they can just pay for it.. Did Y’all know that the guy who designed it, has never designed an airport before ?? Wonder who he is related to.. So we now have to walk unsheltered to short term parking either to leave or come into the Big Island.. as I have said before what a flustercluck..

  17. Frequent flyer says:

    US airports have covered parking, Smooth tarmac, ample large baggage carts, indoor train service, and no fees. We have none of that. The far lot is gravel and open and the walkway from car to check in is convoluted. And it may seem to be free but porters and helpers work for tips. Travelers to cayman carry a lot of stuff and often have children etc. so it is assumed they will have a cab both ways but how do they drop luggage on a rainy day if they have a rental car. Face it—the airport was not well designed.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Have not been to an airport anywhere receny where curbiside droppoff does not happen! Miami, New York, etc… totally rediculous.

  19. Anonymous says:

    If they are going to do this then they need a ticket system that is given to the incoming traveler at the customs checkpoint. This ticket will void payment at the parking gate. Drop-offs should be a pretty speedy process.

  20. Anonymous says:

    This is total rubbish and a snow job by all concerned.

    Last time I checked, Heathrow is a major international airport with multiple terminals and an extensive road system and parking facilities, short and long term.

    And, oh yes, Heathrow has curbside drop off, plus covered walkways to the short term parking.

  21. Anonymous says:

    What a joke, taxis and buses are the terrorists of the road, worst drivers we have.

  22. Anonymous says:

    They do know how busy it gets at drop off time??? And they expect every drop off to drive into the car park, get a ticket, find a space, drop off, and then go through the ticket machine again. And then finding out that the 5 minutes was exceeded waiting in the queue. What will happen now is that drop offs will happen on the airport road by the hire cars, which is less than 30 metres from the airport. Absolute load of cr$p – whoever thought this out has never done risk based training.

    • Shorthand says:

      Short term is going to look like a cross between a bumper car ride and a pin ball machine. Subterfuge at its finest; I wonder who’s relative is a taxi driver?

  23. Anonymous says:

    Did the Airport authority checked the procedures in usa uk. I have not seen the new drop off and pick up zones but it will be nice if it has two lanes one for drop off and pick up so drop off people need not wait.

  24. Anonymous says:

    First they took away the waving gallery. Now we can’t drive up to the building? What’s next????? Who is making all this stuff up?

  25. Anonymous says:

    Just like any US airport then. No kerbside check in.

    We might not have had scheduled flights for 18 months but we are aware when we are being bullshitted to

  26. Desiree Powell says:

    These changes are a necessity in order to comply with International Civil Aviation regulatory requirements that specify that unknown, or ‘unvetted’, vehicles are not permitted to be within 30 meters of any Airport terminal building.” will Miami be complying with these requirements for pickup? The road is almost in the Airport for pickup!!! Jamaica the same!!! Cayman has just made it mandatory to fast forward a way to make money.

  27. Islandgirl345 says:

    So you all didn’t think of private vehicles being more than 30 meters away when you wasted millions building that ugly ass airport!? You all just made me hate flying just that much more!😡😡. This is going to be so much fun!!😡😡

  28. Yes I'll pick U Up says:

    Cayman Air’s unreliable schedule for arrival makes the pick up window of 5 minutes ridiculous for parking and waiting on an incoming flight. I regularly wait a minimum 1/2 hour plus for planes arriving on the Brac which are always behind schedule. Now we have to pay as well as waste our time.

  29. Anonymous says:

    So Cayman Taxis are vetted as per ‘International Rules.’ Funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time..

  30. Anonymous says:

    Go to any properly run airport in the world and observe the kerbside dropoff. They may allow it, they may not; they may charge you, they may not, but it demonstrates that this whole “unvetted vehicle” explanation is pure, unmitigated horseshit. The airport can make whatever rules it wants and doesn’t need to explain itself, but don’t lie to your customers – we pay your wages.

    We. Pay. Your. Wages.

  31. Anonymous says:

    Just yet another government money grab. How much more do we have to put up with? The whole thing is a crock.

  32. Anonymous says:

    If government is really going to do this total drop off / pick up madness, then do not charge fo the first 30 minutes. Thereare jurisdictions that have that policy.

    That is what Da Biga Boss Daddy Dart would do.

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