Parnell Questions Transparency of $80 Million Airport Terminal Project

People's Democratic Movement (PDM) Leader Douglas Parnell is calling on the Progressive National Party (PNP) government to provide greater transparency surrounding its planned $80 million interim terminal at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, arguing that significant questions remain unanswered about procurement, project planning and the future of the country's long-promised airport redevelopment.

PARNELL... “The issue is how government is planning, procuring and spending the people's money to do it."

Speaking during a press conference Tuesday evening, Parnell made it clear that his party supports expanding Providenciales' airport to meet the demands of the country's growing tourism industry. However, he said the issue is not whether the airport should be improved, but whether the government has been sufficiently open about how the project is being managed and how public funds will be spent.

"Providenciales needs a better airport," Parnell said. "Our people deserve it. Our visitors expect it. Our airlines need it. An economy of our size and international standing requires it to protect our tourism dollars."

"The issue is not whether we should improve the airport. The issue is how government is planning, procuring and spending the people's money to do it."

Parnell's comments come after government announced that construction of a 40,000-square-foot Terminal B, valued at approximately $80 million, is expected to begin shortly. While welcoming investment in critical infrastructure, he questioned whether the public has been provided with enough information about the project.

He said government has announced that design engineers have been selected and contracts executed, while also indicating that construction could begin within days. According to Parnell, those statements raise several questions that deserve public answers.

"If an $80 million terminal is breaking ground within days, then tell the country who the construction contractor is," he said.

Parnell called on government to disclose when the project was tendered, how many bids were received, when the contract was evaluated, when it was awarded, what the final construction price is and whether a formal notice to proceed has been issued.

"What exactly is commencing?" he asked. "Site preparation, earthworks, enabling works or actual construction of Terminal B? Those are not unreasonable questions. Those are $80 million worth of questions."

Beyond the interim terminal itself, Parnell questioned what has become of the permanent redevelopment project that successive government announcements have described as essential to accommodating increasing visitor arrivals.

"For years this country has been promised a world-class redevelopment of the Howard Hamilton International Airport," he said. "Now we're being told that $80 million is being spent on what government itself describes as an interim terminal."

He asked government to explain how the temporary facility fits within the broader redevelopment strategy and whether it will eventually become part of the permanent airport or serve only as a temporary solution.

"What happened to the permanent airport terminal?" Parnell asked. "What has caused all the delay? Where does the redevelopment stand today? What is the timeline? Has that timeline changed?"

Parnell also criticized what he described as a lack of public consultation during the planning process.

He recalled that several firms had previously prepared proposals for the airport redevelopment but said neither the designs nor the evaluation process had been shared with residents.

According to Parnell, major national infrastructure projects should involve public engagement, allowing citizens to review proposed designs and provide feedback before final decisions are made.

"If you have plans that only you have seen, has anyone in the public seen the presentations?" he asked members of the media. "Nobody."

He argued that government should host public meetings to explain its vision for the airport and demonstrate how the selected proposal compares with other options that were considered.

"The process was clouded in secrecy," Parnell said, adding that transparency is especially important when projects involve significant public investment.

The PDM leader said the airport project and the ongoing hospital transition reveal what he believes is a broader governance issue.

"Healthcare and the airport may appear to be separate matters," he said, "but together they raise a much larger concern about the way this country is being governed."

He accused the administration of governing "by announcement," where major decisions are publicized before supporting details are released.

"The people of these islands cannot afford government by announcement, where the headline comes first and the answers come later," he said.

Parnell concluded by reiterating that his concerns are not about stopping airport development but ensuring accountability throughout the process.

"The Turks and Caicos Islands is not a poor country," he said. "Our people should expect world-class healthcare and world-class infrastructure. But they should also expect world-class governance, transparency and accountability."

Government officials had not publicly responded Tuesday evening to the specific questions raised by Parnell regarding the procurement process, the interim terminal project or the status of the permanent Howard Hamilton International Airport redevelopment.