FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert says the new terminal of the ANR Robinson International Airport, Crown Point, Tobago, should become fully operational by July.
He was speaking at the ceremony to mark the practical completion of the new terminal building on March 15.
In his address, Imbert said many people did not know what the term ‘practical completion’ meant.
He explained, “In the context of construction projects, practical completion signifies the point where the building works are substantially complete and reasonably fit for the intended purpose, even if some outstanding works remain. And, I make this point because we celebrated the practical completion of the new central block in the Port of Spain General Hospital.”
Imbert added, “It does not mean that aircraft and passengers can utilise the new terminal building from tomorrow since final completion on construction, I am told, is expected by the end of April. After that, there will be testing and commissioning, but practical completion is a significant milestone in the life of any project.”
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He said he was told that Airports Authority, which reports to the Minister of Works and Transport, is already well advanced in its preparation for the commissioning phase of the project.
“We expect, therefore, that barring unforeseen circumstances, the first plane with passengers can utilise this new terminal building in July 2025. We will all work together to make that happen.”
Imbert said when commissioned, the airport will rank among the best in the Latin-American and Caribbean region.
“In fact, some of the consultants that we have engaged, one of them was telling me that one of the better airports in Panama, this will rival Tocumen airport in Panama.”
Saying the new airport was designed to meet global standards, he said it is equipped with expanded aircraft parking aprons, new taxi-way lighting and robust drainage systems to prevent flooding.
“This will allow this new airport building to accommodate larger aircraft, more flights with enhanced safety and much greater efficiency.”
It also will be equipped with air bridges to provide passengers with a comfortable and sheltered boarding and disembarking experience.
“This is a first for Tobago. Not even Barbados, which is a huge tourist destination, has loading bridges.”
Imbert described the project as a “gateway to the world for Tobago and a cornerstone of our future development.’
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“Just imagine, this terminal is designed to handle three million passengers per year and it can handle 1,000 passengers, per hour, every hour.
“So with this facility, Tobago will be able to welcome more direct, long-haul flights from major international markets, opening doors for visitors from North America, Europe and beyond.”
He said the projections for tourist arrivals indicate an increase of up to 50 per cent within the first few years of the commissioning of the facility.
Noting that construction began in the height of the covid19 pandemic, in July 2020, Imbert said the project required the highest standards of financial oversight and was built at a fraction of the cost of comparable airports around the world.
“It is worth highlighting. This is something that is not known, that international benchmarking shows that this project’s cost efficiency compared to other airport developments is remarkable.
“On a cost-per-square-metre basis, this terminal was delivered at approximately US $6,000 per square metre, significantly below the Caribbean average of approximately US$11,000 per square metre and the global average of approximately US$13, 800 per square metre.
“In other words, the team, NIDCO (National Infrastructure Development Company), the consultants, Airports Authority, Minister of Finance, everybody involved, we have built more for less.”
He thanked the residents who were relocated to facilitate the project.
“One of our early challenges was land acquisition. To build this terminal and its facilities, we needed additional land at Crown Point. This meant asking a number of residents and business owners to relocate from their properties they had called home for their lifetime.
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“This was not an easy task, but absolutely necessary. We persevered and I wish to thank all of those citizens who were affected by the land acquisition for their contribution to this fantastic project that we celebrate today.”
