On October 29, 2026, Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceño shared updates on long-running preliminary deliberations over a potential full replacement of San Pedro’s existing John Greif II Municipal Airport, a conversation that first kicked off back in 2020 as local air traffic volumes have continued to climb in lockstep with the island’s fast-expanding tourism sector.
Briceño, who also holds ministerial portfolios for civil aviation and finance, emphasized that the current compact airstrip on the island is physically incapable of being expanded to accommodate larger aircraft, creating a critical long-term bottleneck that could hinder the destination’s sustainable growth decades down the line. He noted that the national government is prioritizing forward-looking planning that accounts for projected demand 5, 10, 15, and even 20 years into the future, rather than only addressing near-term operational needs.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has already been brought on board to conduct comprehensive technical feasibility, site assessment, and impact studies to map out viable options for a new, larger airport facility. Local airline operators have been actively included in all ongoing stakeholder consultations to date, alongside representatives from the San Pedro town council, tourism industry groups, and local resident communities.
Briceño stressed that no final binding decision has been reached at this stage, as the initiative remains firmly in the exploratory discussion phase. Once the IDB finalizes its full formal study and submits its detailed proposal, the government will hold further rounds of public and stakeholder review to evaluate whether the project aligns with national development priorities, upholds strict aviation safety standards, and effectively meets the long-term operational needs of San Pedro’s booming tourism economy before moving forward with any formal approvals.
PM Briceño: San Pedro Needs Larger Airport
