By Leiselle Maraj Thursday, December 24 2009

click on pic to zoom in

Well done: Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert applauds as Airports Authority chairman John Eckstein looks proudly at a plaque marking the openin...

The Airports Authority (AATT) yesterday opened its new airport administration centre at the south terminal of the Piarco International Airport as part of the proposed Airports Authority Estate which will deal with the expansion of the airport beyond the northern terminal.

The new administration centre was designed and constructed by local contractors and took two years and nine months to finish at the cost of $33 million.

Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert was on hand to formally open the facility which will replace the 70-year-old wooden structure on Caroni North Bank Road, Piarco where the authority’s administration office was previously located. The former Customs Baggage Hall at the southern terminal was converted to create the new two storey administration complex.

AATT chairman John Eckstein said the new facilities were welcomed because of the dilapidated state of the old building.

“The facilities on the Caroni North Bank Road was contributing to organisational inefficiencies, it was a fire hazard, uninsured and uninsurable as it was condemned by Fire Service. It exposed the authority’s business record and equipment and staff to unacceptable levels of risk. Relocation was absolutely necessary and extremely urgent,” he said. The new administration centre, he said, is one part of a strategic land use development plan for the AATT estate which was approved by Cabinet.

Imbert, in his address, congratulated staff for their ability to work at the old building, which was constructed during World War II and noted the milestone reached as staff transitioned into a business-oriented enterprise. He said the land use plan, which includes the development of the AATT Estate, calls for development geared towards the establishment of an International Airport Business Park.

“The new construction projects and upgrade of existing facilities will facilitate the expected increase in air travel as a result of the nation’s tourism thrust and other business development activities. It will also contribute to the safety of aircraft operations in line with international civil aviation standards and recommended practices,” he said.

AATT, Imbert said, developed the plan in 2003 to overhaul the southern terminal, which was decommissioned in 2001, to meet increased growth in air traffic.

Aside from the new administrative complex, work is ongoing to develop air cargo facilities for import and export warehousing, office service, transshipment warehousing, shipping and container marshalling; general aviation office space for helicopter services, fixed base of operations, courier service and ground handling service and aviation business related office space for freight fowarders, custom brokers and banking.

The minister added work is also planned for Tobago with the rehabilitation of the Crown Point Airport runway and some facilities in the new year.