When are the duty-free shops at the airport going to re-open? The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) website says, ‘We are looking forward to our new Concessions Programme, coming online in phases in the summer of 2018’, but so far nothing is open.
Auntie’s answer: I do not have the exact answer you are looking for, but I have a bit of an update. I wanted at least to give you some information so you would know you haven’t been forgotten, since you sent your question last month. You are not the first to ask about this, though. I tried to get similar details earlier this year (see What businesses will be opening at the airport?) and also came up empty.
But first, I checked the website for the statement you included in your question and the timeframe has been changed to ‘Q1 2019’, so it seems the wait is going to continue for some months more.
As for the vendors that will be operating in Owen Roberts International Airport, a CIAA representative said the authority is still signing leases with concessionaires, so no names to announce yet. I will continue to ask for updates, though.
the present shop at the airport is owned by island taste operated by Mr. ken Thompson and not Tortuga or Mr. and Mrs. Hamaty so please apologize
CNS: The only reference that I can find about you was in a comment that referred to a “Hamaty hut”. I have added this comment to that one with what I hope is an appropriate apology.
I was stuck in there for 4 hour delayed flight and the only water was a $20 Hamaty hut rip-off. CIAA need to plumb a basic drinking water fountain and a USB charging station, like every other departure lounge built in the last 10 years elsewhere.
CNS: Robert Hamaty has said in another comment: “the present shop at the airport is owned by island taste operated by Mr. ken Thompson and not Tortuga or Mr. and Mrs. Hamaty so please apologize”. I apologise on behalf of CNS and Anonymous.
How can you expect 21srt century facilities when the place was built on the design of a 1980’s fly-over state regional airport?
Strangely, If you are BA crew on a 2 hour stop over , you get ushered to a different part of the airport and you will emrege 10 minutes later back into the departure lounge with your bottles of
“Tort” rum and cakes. Passengers do not get such special treatment, they have to slum it and pay street price for poor alternatives from the airport bar which is capitalising on the situation and selling rum for inflated prices.
If you are a business class passenger, BA have no lounge facility give you a $15 voucher for the snack bar, the snack bar inflate the already crazy prices if you use a BA voucher.
The fare is already eye watering for the London flight because BA have no competition. Its USD$500 to Nassau one way (economy), $600 for business class, this is for a 1 hr flight.
Roll up Richard Branson there is some money to be made here if you put one of your A350s or a 787-9 direct to London.
Thats one expensive cup of orange juice !..Thats all you get..
Given the importance of the airport on the local economy,I would have thought that this regeneration project would be in the news almost daily but for some very strange reason the CIAA and media have kept photos and updates to a minimum.
Try googling photos of the airport for example, hardly any new photos..strange.
Any other airport would be tweeting away so much they would run out of tweet.
As long as they don’t put back that restaurant called hungry horse. They are a big RIP off the prices are outrageous, there is no control on prices. not to mention the food….garbage. I have been coming to the Cayman islands annually with my family, such a lovely place. Now we stopped at the yacht club for lunch before our flights. Good food, good atmosphere, great customer service . There’s even a shuttle that take us to and from the restaurant to catch our flight. I hope to see the yatch club restaurant in the airport, when our next visits.
A Hungry horse chili or chicken curry is a pretty decent value when meat is included. You just need to be specific and send the bones and cartilage back to the kitchen when served.
Because it’s duty free Government is not losing any money therefore have no incentive nor care…
If it’s another Cinnabon or Sbarro, I’m leaving forever.
It would never happen but… A temporary agreement between the duty free shops to have one temp shop, one set of inventory, and equally share the expenses and revenue until they are actually able to open and compete.
media should be all over this?….so much about this project that makes zero sense……
Including who actually submitted bids and who received the concessions and how they comply with the requirements of the RFP?
absolute shambles from everybody involved in this project…..
Cruise ship passengers buy duty free and have it delivered same day to the ships in much larger quantities than it would require for us to be able to purchase items the day before and have them delivered to the plane by the same stores. Ridiculous.
Liquor, candy and cigarettes are cheaper in the US than at your airport duty free so who cares? I’m not counting the perfume or stale Cuban cigars.
At least you can get your pre-flight meal in the short-term car-park
If you are eating at the airport you are not planning right.
This is ridiculous, we have been without duty free for a year and now the CIAA say it won’t be available for another 6 months.We must be the only “world class” international airport with no duty free.Perhaps Auntie can ascertain if the CIAA fatcats get concessionary air travel on top of their other perks.