On November 3, 2026, Belize’s Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is publicly questioning the government’s push to advance a new airport project on northern Ambergris Caye, pointing out that the country’s established tourism hubs are still grappling with unstable air connectivity and unmet long-term development needs. The debate comes on the heels of recent disruptions to domestic air routes: local carrier Tropic Air previously suspended service to Punta Gorda due to unsustainable financial losses, and rival operator Maya Island Air has only recently stepped in to restore flights to the southern destination. Punta Gorda’s tourism operators have stressed that the resumed service is a short-term band-aid, not a lasting solution, and are calling on the national government to roll out a holistic, cross-sector development framework to unlock the region’s full tourism potential, a demand Panton has formally endorsed. Panton confirmed she will travel to San Pedro this week to hold face-to-face consultations with local airline operators to unpack their core concerns about the proposed northern Ambergris Caye airport. Industry stakeholders have repeatedly warned that the project should not move forward without inclusive, transparent consultation and rigorous feasibility assessment. Panton highlighted a notable policy inconsistency that has sparked widespread frustration across the local aviation sector: the Belize Tourism Board has committed to an annual U.S. $2 million revenue guarantee for a European international carrier, yet has not put comparable support in place for domestic airlines that form the critical lifeline for all local tourism destinations. She emphasized that the existing airstrip on Ambergris Caye is strategically positioned to serve both the northern and southern stretches of San Pedro, and that long-tenured local aviation operators who have run services at the current site for decades have been largely excluded from planning conversations, with no clear data shared on how the proposed relocation would impact the financial viability of their day-to-day operations. Parallel to Panton’s advocacy, the Belize Tourism Industry Association has announced it will continue collecting feedback from cross-sector stakeholders and lobby the sitting administration for full, transparent answers on the proposed northside airport. Industry representatives have underscored that San Pedro’s unaddressed urgent gaps in core infrastructure and public services must be prioritized before any large-scale new development is approved, and that all major projects must be rooted in deliberate planning, meaningful community and industry input, and alignment with the island’s long-term public interests. This report is adapted from the official transcript of the outlet’s evening television newscast, with any segments originally delivered in Kriol transcribed using a standardized, publicly recognized Kriol spelling system for accessibility.