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 avi
