Cockburn Town Grand Turk International Airport (GDT) – also known as JAGS McCartney International Airport – is located on Grand Turk Island within the Caribbean’s Turks and Caicos Islands. Since there’s no public transportation on the island, the airport can only be accessed by rental car or taxi.
I’ve visited this airport multiple times while hopping around the Caribbean. It’s a stress-free, compact airport that’s made up of nothing more than a landing strip and a small building, but it’s easy to navigate and has friendly folk working there. From the flights arriving here and the check-in process to the airport facilities and parking, here is everything you need to know about Cockburn Town Grand Turk International Airport.
This is a fully domestic airport that only serves other islands within Turks and Caicos, including Providenciales (the most populated island), South Caicos, and Salt Cay. There are no international flights to Grand Turk at all (which might have something to do with the fact the airport only has a single runway). There are two different airlines that serve these domestic island hops: interCaribbean Airways and Caicos Express Airways.
Since the airport’s one runway is rather tiny, they only use small aircrafts here, either Hawker Beechcraft 1900s (with less than 20 passengers) or Cessna Lights (with a maximum of eight people on board). Both are very small and it’s worth noting this before booking these hopper flights – particularly if you happen to be a nervous flyer, or are traveling with someone in your party that’s not a fan of smaller aircrafts. The airport does get slightly busier during the peak tourist season, but in my experience, it never feels unmanageable, with less than a dozen flights coming in and out each day.
There are some private planes that land here, but they tend to arrive at Providenciales International Airport (PLS), on the nearby island of Providenciales, first to clear customs and immigration. PLS is also the only airport with a fixed-base operator (a company that has permission by an airport to operate on its premises), so GDT remains rather quiet in terms of flight traffic.
This is a very small island airport and checking in 30 minutes before departure is absolutely sufficient. When you arrive, you’ll find a small security checkpoint and, in my experience, this takes no more than five minutes to get through before arriving at your gate.
Due to the airport’s compact size, there are just a few seats available whilst waiting to board and also in the general terminal. My advice is not to arrive too early – instead, enjoy the sunshine outside and arrive close to your departure time. This minimizes the amount of time you’ll have to spend in the airport, where you’ll potentially be forced to stand, especially if you’re traveling during peak season.
Cockburn Town Grand Turk International has no formal boarding procedures in place. However, both of the airlines try to board according to the groups on passengers’ boarding passes. A word of warning: boarding in some of these small island towns can feel a little disorganized. There are no jet bridges, so when you board you have to walk out onto the tarmac and get onto the plane via a small flight of stairs.
Inside the terminal, there’s a check-in area for both of the airlines that service this airport: interCaribbean and Caicos Express. Neither of them has special lines reserved for premium customers and you can walk up to the counters easily, as the airport never gets very busy. In general, these airlines require a paper boarding pass and can be rather strict about baggage weight, so make sure you’ve packed carefully and stayed within your weight limit.
Before security, there’s a small cafe called the Cockpit Lounge, where you can grab a last-minute snack and a cup of coffee. It’s only open for breakfast and lunch and the cafe’s hours – as with many establishments on the islands – can fluctuate. The airport also has a Scotiabank ATM if you need some cash.
The airport has a small open-air parking lot across from the terminal building – all you have to do is cross the street and it’s right there. There’s no charge to park your car there. This is also where you can leave your rental vehicle when you return it. Remember when driving around Turks and Caicos that they drive on the left-hand side of the road.
The rental car office is located inside the terminal, just to the right as you come inside. But since the weather is pretty much always great here, you’ll also find rental car company employees stationed in the parking lot. Tony’s Car Rental and Nathan’s Car Rental are the most well-liked operators here (as the locals told me when I was visiting) and you can book cars or Jeeps with them before arrival or when you arrive at the airport.
Another option is to rent a golf cart at the airport – a very popular way to get around this small island. These come in four or six seat formations. If you have a lot of luggage, you’ll need to drop your bags off with a taxi beforehand, as the golf carts don’t have much storage space. But the car rental companies can also arrange for your luggage to be dropped off at your accommodation when hiring a golf cart through them.
My personal preference, though, is to rent a scooter. Both of these companies can organize a similar deal, with scooters delivered to your accommodation. When the weather’s so great, you’ll want to soak it up as much as possible, and zipping around on a scooter is the perfect way to do that.
Besides car rentals, taxis are the only way to get around the island, as there are no rideshare options. You’ll find taxis waiting right outside the terminal and these are easy to spot – just look out for the white vans and cars with ‘taxi’ signs on top.
Inside the terminal you’ll also find a rate card with the standard cost for taxis to take you downtown or to the cruise center. The taxis don’t have meters; they just follow the set price. I found Mama Dea Taxi, which has complimentary Wi-Fi inside its vehicles, to be the best option – you can even book these online before your trip.
If you’re into space innovation and a little bit of history, the airport has a fascinating site to explore. Displayed right outside the terminal is an exact replica of the Friendship 7 space capsule. This particular space capsule had American astronaut John Glenn aboard when it came down on the coast of Grand Turk in 1962. I love taking a moment to marvel at technology and reflect on how far we’ve come whenever I see it.
The airport is very small and doesn’t offer paid lounges, nor do they have any special VIP areas or even lockers for luggage. Besides the small cafe there’s not much to do here, so my advice is to see it more like a bus stop than an airport.
If you happen to be island hopping – which is often how Grand Turk is used – my advice is to head down to the old town during a layover (or if your flight is delayed). Cockburn Town, the capital of Turks and Caicos, is just one mile from the airport and can be very easily reached. Here you’ll find several museums to visit, including the National Museum.
It’s also a great place to stop for some seafood – my top restaurant picks are Barbie’s and Bird Cage. Or you can simply sit on the soft, white sand at Cockburn Town beach, fronting the capital – a much more picturesque place to wait for your flight.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
IATA Code | GDT |
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Serves | Cockburn Town |
Hub for | Caicos Express Airways, interCaribbean Airways |