Trinidad and Tobago’s aviation policy

THE growth of the Trinidad and Tobago’s aviation industry must be within the framework of a robust national civil aviation policy. Such a policy will inform how the local and international aviation regulatory and operations infrastructure can impact the growth strategies for the local civil aviation industry.

The primary objective of an aviation policy is to serve as a catalyst for the development of the aviation sector in order to have a positive influence on long-term economic growth through air connectivity. This will provide better access to markets, support the tourism industry, enhance communications and business interactions, facilitate trade and investment and improve business efficiency through time savings, reduced costs and improved reliability for business travellers and air freight operations.

The policy framework must be sufficiently stable to underpin long-term planning and investment in aviation activities and should guide development of accessible, affordable, cost effective and sustainable aviation infrastructure to support the growth of the aviation industry.

Aviation benefits the Trinidad and Tobago’s economy through its direct contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) and employment, and by facilitating trade and investment, manufacturing supply chains, skills development and tourism.

The aviation industry can drive economic growth through strategic partnerships, digital transformation, sustainable practices, automation and efficient operational management. This will streamline operations, enhance customer experience, and leverage technology for revenue optimisation.

Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation commonly known as the Chicago Convention. The convention established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Therefore, any aviation policy must be congruent with the five strategic objectives of the ICAO: aviation safety, air navigation capacity and efficiency, security and facilitation, economic development and environmental protection.

Aviation safety is the core of the ICAO's work, focusing on enhancing global civil aviation safety through policy and standardisation, monitoring safety trends, implementing safety programmes and providing technical support. Through international cooperation by governments and industry groups, ICAO has helped to make commercial aircraft the safest way to travel. ICAO member states are currently working toward their agreed global safety target of zero fatalities by 2030.

Trinidad and Tobago has to strengthen its regulatory capacities, while pursuing a range of programmes and targets relevant to aviation safety planning, oversight, and risk mitigation.

Air navigation capacity and efficiency focuses on improving the efficiency and capacity of air navigation systems, including air traffic control, navigation aids, and infrastructure, to facilitate safe and timely air travel. The next 20 years will be a period of transformational change for the aviation sector, especially for air traffic management (ATM) and flight operations. Aircraft manufactures are introducing new aircraft types with next-generation innovations, integrated advanced technologies and sophisticated operational automation systems.

According to the ICAO, the aviation industry is a powerful socio-economic driver and faces a variety of challenges. Air traffic, with its movement of passengers and goods around the world, is expected to double within the next 15 years. At the same time, new demands on the aviation system, emerging technologies, innovative ways of doing business and the shifting human role are bringing not only challenges but also opportunities that call for an urgent transformation of the global air navigation system so that aviation can continue to boost social well-being worldwide.

Security and facilitation (AVSEC and FAL) encompass measures to ensure the safety, security, and efficiency of air travel, encompassing passenger screening, baggage control, cargo security, and airport operations. AVSEC focuses on preventing unlawful interference with aircraft and airports, while FAL aims to streamline the processes of border controls and clearance and the use of emerging technologies such as e-passports.

Economic development policies of ICAO recognises that air connectivity is a crucial catalyst for sustainable development. These policies enables the emergence of a coherent and harmonised global regulatory framework, the liberalisation of international air transport, and the resolution of infrastructure and airspace capacity constraints in order to ensure the sustainable development of an economically viable civil aviation system.

ICAO does this by facilitating cooperation among States and through the provision of economic policies, regulatory guidance, and accurate, reliable and consistent aviation data.

This objective recognises the economic importance of aviation and works to promote sustainable aviation development that benefits both airlines and airports, while also considering the social and environmental impacts.

Environmental protection is a multilateral platform of ICAO for co-operation on international aviation environmental protection. Over the years, the ICAO member countries have agreed to concentrate their aviation environmental collaboration on three core areas: climate change and aviation emissions, aircraft noise and local air quality.

This objective addresses the environmental impact of aviation, promoting the development of more sustainable aircraft and fuel, as well as exploring new technologies to reduce noise and emissions and honoring countries’ obligations under the Paris climate agreement.

In 1987, cabinet appointed a committee to draft a comprehensive aviation policy for Trinidad and Tobago. The committee’s report and draft policy was submitted to the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) where it remains.

In March 2018, the then works and transport minister Rohan Sinanan appointed members of the Standing Negotiating Committee on Air Services Agreements (SNCASA),

The committee chairman was Anthony Vieira, SC, and the vice chairperson was the permanent secretary in the MOWT.

Other members of the committee were representatives from CAL, Trinidad and Tobago CAA, AA Trinidad and Tobago, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

The SNCASA remit included, inter alia, the responsibility for negotiating bilateral and multilateral air transportation agreements between Trinidad and Tobago and other countries or group of countries.

A key remit of the SNCASA was the pursuance of an aviation policy for Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2024, the SNCASA submitted it draft aviation policy to the MOWT which intended, at that time, for the draft policy to be reviewed by aviation experts whose credentials are unknown. The local aviation stakeholders were not invited to participate in the formulation of the draft policy.

The new minister of Transport and Civil Aviation with his aviation background is expected to engage all stakeholders in consultations regarding the draft national aviation policy before it is presented to the cabinet for consideration.

Stakeholders should include local air operators, aviation training organisations, aviation maintenance organisations, airmen, foreign airlines operating into Trinidad and Tobago, airports, ground handlers, tourism bodies, the THA and other aviation interest groups.