TORONTO — It’s been a long time coming, but the new Argyle International Airport (AIA) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will finally make its grand debut on Feb. 14.

Originally slated for a 2015 opening and pushed back several times due to construction delays, the new airport is now considered the largest capital project that has ever been undertaken in the history of the country. It will replace the existing ET Joshua Airport, which will close simultaneously.

To celebrate the long-awaited occasion, a charter flight has been organized by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority in collaboration with GG Tours in Toronto. A Sunwing 737-800 aircraft will go down in history as the first international flight to land at AIA from Canada.

Flights WG262 is scheduled to leave Pearson International Airport at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 14, and arrive at AIA at 3:40 p.m. WG263 will depart AIA at 4:55 p.m. and land in Toronto at 9:45 p.m. On Feb. 21, the return trip flight will operate on the same schedule.

The new airport is expected to increase accessibility to this multi-island destination and be a key economic driver for the country, attracting direct flights from Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and more, fuelling investments. It boasts a 9,000-foot runway designed to accommodate aircraft as large as the Boeing 747-400s. The 171,000 square-foot terminal will be able to handle 1.5 million passengers per year, more than five times the capacity at ET Joshua, and offer 23 commercial spaces, three restaurants and several spots for kiosks.