Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) commenced commercial operations in 1952 and is the major gateway linking the Cayman Islands to destinations worldwide and provides the main point of entry and exit to Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. It is located in the capital, George Town, and is approximately five minutes from downtown, the banking and financial district and the cruise ship terminal, and is also within close proximity of Seven Mile Beach, the heart of the islands' tourism industry.
ORIA employs 175 staff and also plays a major role in the islands’ tourism and financial sectors, annually catering to approximately 25,146 commercial and private aircraft movements and processes approximately 1,095,586 passenger movements, which include tourists, business visitors and residents of the three islands. In addition, the airport processes approximately 1,521,615 pounds of cargo and 286,744 pounds of mail. These figures highlight the importance of the airport in sustaining the community, which is heavily dependent on imported goods.
Owned and operated by the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA), ORIA boasts a runway of 7,008 feet long by 150 feet wide and is poised for a major redevelopment for completion in 2018.
The CIAA has already carried out the construction of short and long term parking lots and roadways, which have enhanced the traffic flow at ORIA. The CIAA intends to continue to carry out major redevelopment programmes in the years ahead with a view to providing world-class service while ensuring that its operation remains viable, further establishing it as a valuable contributor to the two pillars of the islands’ economy.
Airlines providing weekly, daily and charter services into Grand Cayman include Cayman Airways, the national flag carrier of the Cayman Islands, Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines, US Airways and WestJet. The airport is located within walking distance to the majority of the rental car agencies.
The General Aviation Terminal (GAT) caters to private aircraft and is also home to the Cayman Islands National Weather Service (CINWS).
There is one Fixed Based Operator at GAT, Island Air, who handles the majority of private aircraft movements on behalf of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority.
Contact
Website: www.islandair.ky
Email: res@islandair.ky
Telephone: +1 345 949 5252
Fax: +1 345 949 1073
Air Agencies also provides private aircraft charter handling, and contact details are as follows:
Website: www.airagenciesltd.com
Email: airagencies@fads.ky
Telephone: + 1 345 623 0000 or + 1 345 923 3237
