Despite handling nearly 600,000 fewer passengers during the first five months of the year, Sangster International Airport (SIA) is pressing ahead with a major expansion programme as it prepares for an expected rebound in visitor demand.

SIA handled 1.588 million passengers between January and May, a 27 per cent decline from the corresponding period last year as Jamaica's tourism sector continued recovering from the effects of Hurricane Melissa. However, Chief Executive Officer Shane Munroe said the airport was using the period to accelerate major infrastructure projects designed to increase capacity, improve efficiency and strengthen resilience ahead of renewed growth.

"We are not waiting for the perfect market conditions. We are not simply repairing damage. We are restoring, strengthening and modernising at the same time," Munroe told stakeholders at the airport's mid-year forum on Wednesday, adding that the airport must be ready when passenger demand fully returns.