V.I. Port Authority Advances Airports P3 Project with Multiple Proposals Received

The V.I. Port Authority has announced the receipt of multiple compliant proposals in response to its request for proposals for the Airports Public/Private Partnership (P3) Project. This initiative is aimed at modernizing, investing in, and improving the U.S. Virgin Islands' airports, specifically the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas and the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix.

According to a statement issued Thursday, the authority's internal committee is set to begin a comprehensive evaluation of the submitted proposals, a process expected to span several weeks. Upon completion, the committee will recommend a preferred proposer to VIPA's Board of Governors for final selection. VIPA has stated it will not provide further comments during this critical evaluation period.

Supporting the P3 project, VIPA has enlisted the expertise of several advisory firms: Frasca & Associates LLC as the financial advisor, Mayer Brown LLP and local counsels Jennifer Jones and Trudy Fenster as legal advisors, The Paslay Group as the technical advisor, and the Public Strategy Group as the communications advisor.

This announcement follows a significant milestone on April 19, 2023, when VIPA's Board of Governors named four qualified proposers from an initial pool of eight. These firms—daa International, Vantage Airport Group Ltd., Vinci Airports, and VIports Partners—were selected based on rigorous evaluation criteria for their potential to serve as airport terminal developers, operators, and investment partners.