Resuscitation of the Camden aeropark in Couva

In October 2013, during my tenure as the director general of civil aviation (DGCA), the TT Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) proposed to its line minister that it should develop the Camden airfield in Couva into a world-class General Aviation Centre.

In 2014, after making a presentation to the cabinet’s finance and general purpose committee, TTCAA was approved to develop the airpark, gaining exclusive rights to its development.

Cabinet also agreed to vest the Camden runway in the TTCAA with access by UTT.

In 1942, the US military constructed an airstrip in Couva known as the Camden Auxiliary Air Base with a 4,500 feet runway that was used primarily for anti-aircraft training and aircraft maintenance.

The location of Camden was strategically chosen by the US as the land was flat and the takeoff, approach and landing paths for aircraft were free from obstacles such as hills or towers.

During the post-war era, the US handed over all the infrastructure at Chaguaramas and the runways at Waller Field, Carlsen Field and Camden to the government of TT.

Camden Auxiliary Air Base remained unused until the late 1960s when Caroni (1937) Ltd, the predecessor to Caroni (1974) Ltd, began to use the airstrip for aerial crop-dusting.

With the closure of the sugar industry in 2003, Camden became dormant once more.

It was a wasting asset with great potential for the establishment of aviation-related businesses such as an aeropark with a 7,000 feet runway.

Subsequent to the cabinet decision, the TTCAA continued working with the aviation US consultants that were engaged to conduct a feasibility study on the suitability of Camden as a general aviation aeropark. The consultants deemed the Camden aeropark project as "very investor attractive" and recommended its development in six phases over a five-year period utilising a public-private partnership strategy (PPP).

TT is strategically located at a crossroads to the Americas and the Camden aeropark can become an integrated cluster of aviation activities including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO); the manufacture of light aircraft components; aircraft painting and general aviation activities such as Fixed Based Operations (FBO) to handle executive aircraft owned by companies coming to do business at Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre, La Brea and Point Fortin.

More importantly, it can be used as a domestic passenger terminal.

Some major US airlines have significant under capacities in their MRO needs resulting in the outsourcing of MRO functions outside of the US.

Both American Airlines and United Airlines have invested heavily in MRO facilities in Brazil taking advantage of relatively low labour and energy costs.

A vibrant local MRO industry will create direct employment opportunities, particularly for graduates of the UTT aviation campus.

It was forecasted that in the first five years with all the aviation clusters operational, an annual net profit of approximately US$ 30 million would be realised.

Industry analysts estimate the global general aviation market is expected to grow to US$36.5 billion by 2028.

All the technical requirements for the upgrade of Camden to an aeropark were defined.

The first phase was the approval of Camden as an aerodrome for use by National Helicopter Services Ltd, UTT with its large hangar, the Light Airplane Club, the flying schools and relocate the Air Guard and the helicopter operators that presently use Piarco International Airport.

This would significantly alleviate air traffic congestion at the Piarco airport which can be used primarily for international commercial air operations.

The relocation of the Air Guard to Camden would enable a faster response to all parts of TT, particularly the southwest peninsular.

The second phase was the extension and repaving of the runway to increase airport capacities in Trinidad and for the relocation of the domestic airbridge operations to Camden as inter-island travel, while subject to aviation security requirements, does not require customs and immigration formalities.

The TTCAA did all the technical studies for the upgrade of the runway to accommodate the ATR72-600 which CAL presently operates and the Embraer EMB 175 aircraft which is being evaluated by CAL to supplement its commuter fleet.

There are already hangars available for use in the servicing and maintenance of CAL aircraft at Camden.

Research indicates that approximately 55 per cent of the airbridge local passengers are from central and south Trinidad.

There is existing infrastructure that can be used as a domestic terminal for passenger facilitation including check-in and security screening.

Camden would be easily accessible from all directions via the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, more so when the segment of the highway from Debe to Mon Desir through Penal, Siparia and Fyzabad is completed.

The TTCAA had identified investors to finance the project so that government funding would not be required.

The TTCAA donated a Boeing 727-200 jet that was gifted to it by Federal Express to the UTT Aviation Campus for training purposes.

On August 7, 2015, the TTCAA flew the Boeing 727-200 jet aircraft and landed it at Camden to highlight the aviation potential of the Camden runway.

The implementation of Phase One of the project was scheduled to start in October 2015. The general elections were held in September 2015 and the government changed.

The newly appointed minister of Works and Transport requested me, as the DGCA, to make a presentation to him on the operations of the TTCAA.

The final part of the presentation was on Camden. When I said the word Camden at Couva, the Minister asked me, "Did I hear you say the words Camden in Couva?"

When I replied in the affirmative, he said, "Those words are not in my vocabulary."

Shortly after a new TTCAA board was appointed, I was sent on pre-retirement leave and the Camden project came to a virtual standstill.

With a favourable investment climate, the Camden aeropark would create opportunities for other economic clusters and downstream spin-off businesses in the Couva area generating significant employment and foreign exchange earnings.

The new government should resuscitate the Camden aeropark project. As previously stated, the project can be financed without the use of government funds.