Patriot Company Limited has lost its long-held master janitorial contract for Argyle International Airport (AIA), bringing an end to a nine-year monopoly that began when commercial operations commenced in 2017.
The disclosure was delivered in the House of Assembly by the Minister responsible for airports and seaports in response to parliamentary inquiries regarding public sector service commitments and contract awards.
Since AIA opened in 2017, Patriot Company Limited managed janitorial services across the entire airport complex under a single unified contract valued at $79,253.66.
Between May and July 2026, the government initiated a formal tender evaluation exercise to reassess facility maintenance standards and invite bids from local service providers. A total of six companies submitted applications during the competitive tender.
Following the evaluation, the government decided to dissolve the single master contract format and unbundle airport cleaning operations into three distinct physical components.
During the tender evaluation process, three of the six applicant companies were disqualified from consideration:
Inadequate Capacity & Equipment: Two applicant companies failed to qualify due to a lack of required machinery and insufficient personnel.
Substandard Service Quality: One applicant was disqualified due to shabby work performance and persistent complaints regarding poorly maintained toilet facilities and terminal amenities.
The remaining three qualified applicants were selected to manage specific physical zones across the airport complex.
he three new specialized component contracts were awarded as follows:
Main Terminal Building: Awarded to Vincy Clean Floor Maintenance Services at a value of $50,000, covering the main terminal building, the AIA taxi booth, and the carport facility.
Cargo and Garage Facilities: Awarded to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union at a value of $15,000, covering the cargo building and vehicle garage facilities.
Civil Aviation & Airfield Substation: Awarded to Uklean Cleaning Services (managed by the Public Service Union) at a value of $18,000, covering the Civil Aviation Department compound and the airfield lighting substation.
