Connected skies: Advancing Trinidad and Tobago's aviation sector

Few industries exemplify the magnitude of human innovation quite like aviation.

Beyond bridging gaps between borders, aviation has expanded trade, bolstered tourism and connected cultures around the world. With technological advancements moving faster than ever, air travel is rapidly becoming faster, safer and more accessible.

Under the direction of the new minister, Eli Zakour, the Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry seeks to do just that with a mandate of improving flight, cargo and immigration services through the integration of modern technology.

Through these enhancements, Zakour and his ministry aim to increase the efficiency of operations, enhance customer experience and position TT as a prime destination for air-carriers.

Business Day columnist and former director general of the TT Civil Aviation Authority Ramesh Lutchmedial expressed his confidence in the minister doing just that.

"I think he (Zakour) is aptly qualified to continue to maintain TT’s place as a world-class centre of aviation…currently the civil aviation industry in TT is evolving to meet the new technologies and both the regulator and operators have always maintained the highest level of safety."

With a strong foundation, Lutchmedial said he hopes the industry could now move towards more digitised solutions such as e-passports and advanced baggage scanners. He pointed to recent developments at the Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten as a model example of how technological advancements can enhance a small island state's airport.

Portugal-based travel technology company, Vision-Box, has equipped the St Maarten airport with three major self-service options which allow passengers to traverse the airport without the need to present or complete paper documents and forms.

Using an end-to-end integrated biometric system, Vision Box says its Seamless Kiosk, Seamless Gate and Seamless Desk devices have reduced passengers’ average immigration clearance time from around 15 minutes to just ten seconds.

With Seamless Gate, passengers no longer need to present travel documents during boarding, at security checkpoints or even to access airport loungers.

With the face biometric ID system, travellers simply have to walk through the scanners.

Seamless Kiosk integrates the system's biometric and biographic data to authenticate and accept thousands of different travel documents using frontal face and fingerprint capture. Designed with accessibility in mind and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and European Accessibility Act, Seamless Kiosk also provides an adjustable interface for people with disabilities.

With practicality in mind, Seamless Desk features simplified installation, allowing the device to be placed on existing booths regardless of dimensions.

"Even the x-ray machine for your baggage, you don’t have to take out your laptops or all your electronic devices, it is programmed to detect anything that is unlawful or illegal in your luggage," Lutchmedial said.

He added that the technological enhancements not only enhance passenger experience but also ensure the overall safety of air travel.

In its 2023-2024 annual report, the TT Civil Aviation Authority said over the past year it has been focusing on advancing air navigation services to ensure safe guidance of aircraft entering and exiting the Piarco airspace with minimal delay and maximum operational efficiency.

The authority's Air Navigation Services (ANS) has undergone various enhancements, including an upgrade to the Aeronautical Fixed Services (AFS), a structure that enables communication within the global aviation network.

AFS is a crucial component of reliable information exchange between air traffic control centres, airports and other aviation stakeholders to ensure seamless co-ordination and safety in an ever-expanding industry.

These upgrades have led to TT becoming only the second state in the North American, Central American, Caribbean and South American region to achieve ANS Provider Certification for the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation’s safety regulation division.

Granted on September 12, 2024, the certification process, which occurred in five phases, recognises the authority's ANS division’s capacity for operating within international standards.

And these investments seem to be bearing results as the authority recorded 23,897 international flights going to and from TT in 2024 – 13 per cent increase from 2023.

Some of this growth was even recorded specifically in Tobago, as flights increased from 683 to 799.

These commercial flight increases have been noted alongside progress in air cargo.

Supported by significant activity in e-commerce and ongoing disruptions to global maritime shipping, the value of trade carried in 2024 amounted to $8.41 trillion, a 3.3 per cent increase from the $8.03 trillion recorded in 2023.

With the presence of nine major international airlines including American Airlines, British Airways, Copa Airlines, JetBlue Airways, KLM Airlines, United Airlines, LIAT, Caribbean Airlines (CAL) and the most recent re-addition, Air Canada, TT is well-positioned within the market to take full advantage of all the benefits of technologically-enhanced air travel.

Air Canada returns to TT

At the recommencement ceremony for Air Canada's return on May 2, Canadian High Commissioner to TT Michael Callan emphasised the importance of aviation in the evolving geopolitical landscape.

"Globally, international markets are shuddering, global trade relationships are being amended and countries are asking themselves who their allies and trusted partners really are. While asking these questions might be necessary, they can also be unsettling."

He recognised significant political shifts in both TT and Canada, which both held elections on April 28.

"Our results were overwhelmingly shaped by threats to our economy and sovereignty and here the election result seemed to be driven by a desire for change.

"In both circumstances, our countries are charging ahead into an unknown future.

"But the antidote for such anxieties can be a return to the relationships and connections that we can rely on and have proved themselves over the years."

Callan recognised Canada as having the second-highest TT diaspora in the world and said the resumption of the flight was more than just another milestone in aviation.

"It will carry old friends flying in for Carnival, artists launching their international debuts in Toronto and businesswomen ready to pitch their new ideas to Port of Spain.

"It will carry students returning home with stories of snow. It will carry laughter, longing, ambition and a deep comfort knowing there’s just one short connection away from the people and places we love."

He noted the cultural and political connections of both countries and the role that the flight resumption had in enhancing them.

"The resumption of the Air Canada flight is a living example of just such connections. Air Canada flights between Toronto and Port of Spain are more than just a new ground. They’re a symbol of solidarity, respect, trust and connection between nations, communities and between friends."

Tourism development officer at Tourism Trinidad Ltd, Carlton DeFour, said the return of Air Canada stands as a testament to the appeal of TT’s tourism product.

"Canada is a pillar for us and Air Canada is an airline that’s been with us from time immemorial. And for them to come back now shows that TT has a tourism product that’s attractive," he told Business Day.

"It shows that we are very relevant and we are doing something that attracts our diaspora market and the local market we have here.

"What we have to offer is so unique that the airlines are seeing it."

Air Canada's director of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean, Luis Noriega, told Business Day the flight schedule would not only bring Canadian passengers to TT but also allow for connections to Europe and Asia as well.

He also said Air Canada is close to making announcements of new routes that will include the Caribbean, as well as South and Central America.