This Is the Caribbean’s Best Small Airport

By Caribbean Journal Staff

By Alexander Britell

There’s not enough air conditioning. There’s no Wi-Fi. Or there’s nowhere to eat once you go through security. Or there is somewhere to eat, but it’s overpriced and, well, terrible. Or the airport staff are unnecessarily rude.

These are some of the things we feel when traveling in certain Caribbean airports, big or small.

And while some countries have looked forward and opened state-of-the-art terminals (like Antigua and Nassau, and soon, hopefully soon, St Vincent), at far too many Caribbean airports these complaints tend to linger.

That’s why it was such a shock when I arrived at a tiny airport on the island of Cayman Brac.

There was air conditioning. There was Wi-Fi — fast Wi-Fi! There was even an outdoor observation deck to watch incoming flights! Even better, the security officers were actually friendly – rare not just for the Caribbean but just about anywhere in the world.

Cayman Brac’s Charles Kirkconnell International Airport even had a bar-restaurant called the Rainbow Cafe and even some shopping.

For the first time — perhaps ever — I was a bit disappointed when they called the flight to board for Little Cayman.

But the remarkable thing is that this is, yes, a small airport.

But it has big dreams.

Above: the observation deck at the airport

Miguel Martin, airport manager, told me the plan is to make this little airport an international-standard place.

While it currently serves around four flights a day from Grand Cayman (along with short jumps to and from Little Cayman), the idea is to receive international flights from Miami in the not too distant future. That means direct flights to the Brac, on the very long 6000-foot runway.