On Thursday, August 19, 2010, the beautiful Caribbean island of St Kitts announced that a new private air terminal will be built at the island's International Airport in a bid to further enhance St Kitts and its reputation as a premier tourist and real estate destination.

Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism & International Transport in St Kitts, identified the importance of developing a private air terminal in the transformation of St. Kitts' tourism product.

Saying, "With competition for the global private jet market so intense, this project is designed to facilitate the type of arrival and departure experience that discerning travelers, including entertainment celebrities, sports stars and international investors, expect. This new private air terminal will enable St. Kitts to deliver the highest quality of personalized service to passengers on private Jets, as well as scheduled VIP arrivals, featuring our genuinely welcoming Kittitian hospitality."

Senator Skerritt further added that the new private air terminal at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport will aim to enable St. Kitts to deliver the highest quality of personalized service to passengers on private jets, as well as scheduled VIP arrivals.

Construction of St. Kitts' multi-million dollar private jet terminal is scheduled to begin in February with fixed base operator service operations commencing at the end of 2012. It's estimated that the new terminal will cost between US$15 million and US$20 million.

Four companies made different proposals for the construction of the private terminal, and the bid by UK-based Veling Aviation Ltd was selected. Veling will use local contractors, craftsman and tradesman as well as tapping into international expertise to handle such a specialist project.

The private air terminal is BOT project with a term of 30 years. The development will be in phases and will complement the overall development of St. Kitts real estate and tourism sectors.

The first phase of the development which will feature the main tropical-styled and environmentally friendly terminal. This new private air terminal will consist of world class lounges, a state of the art business center, and related offices and international processing facilities, as well as a landscaped courtyard and an events centre.

Located in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean, St. Kitts offers a diverse real estate and tourism product developed from the destination's natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history that begins with the second voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1493.

The island's sandy beaches and warm clear waters surround a treasure trove of historic sites, exhilarating music, colours and food. A stunning variety of cultural events and recreational activities include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island's sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, and touring Brimstone Hill, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean.