New Tobago Airport Terminal set for early completion: Reports

Trinidad and Tobago: In a significant development, the new terminal at the ANR Robinson International Airport expansion project in Tobago is anticipated to be completed sooner than scheduled originally.

It is said that although the terminal was set to be ready by the end of the first quarter in next year, the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd’s Chairman Herbet George now feels that it could be finishes earlier by the first part of that quarter.

This billion-dollar project is being managed by the Nidco and constructed by China Railway Construction. It will be a major project for the small island nation and will give a major boost to the overall tourism sector.

George has not revealed any specific dates for the completion of the project but anticipates that there is much progress each week.

As of now, the larger of the two buildings is around 95 percent completed with workers seen handling smaller tasks on the significant building which is nearly completed.

Other than that, the landscaping at the main entrance is underway with a newly planted roundabout and almost completed fencing along its parameters.

George added that the project remains on budget and has faced no major setbacks as of now and added that all the equipment has to be in and commissioned, so there is work going on within the terminal that locals are looking at.

This two-phase project involves the modernization as well as the upgradation of the existing terminal building to boost the current service level. The first phase consists of an expanded floor space, which includes the Domestic Arrivals Hall having a new baggage carousel along with security screening equipment, an outdoor canopy, a VIP lounge as well and an upgraded floor space.

Other major works on this project includes the construction of a taxi shelter as well as a car park west of the terminal.

The second phase of the Tobago Airport Terminal Project includes a new state of the art terminal building which will offer social, environmental and governance benefits that would enhance the passenger experience at a larger scale and will increase operational efficiency.

Some of the key features of the project includes accommodation of three million passengers every year, that will be three times the capacity of the existing airport.

Notably, this project utilizes both local and foreign workers on site. The project will also support tourism and the economic development of Tobago.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley gave an update on the project in September 2024 saying that payments to date to the main contractor amounted to US$65 million and this does not include land acquisition costing around $300 million.

Notably, while there was an initial delay to the project because of the COVID 19 pandemic, the project is now moving smoothly and swiftly.
The contract for the airport was signed back in January 2020 during which Finance Minister Colm Imbert estimated a total of $1.2 billion for the construction of this new airport terminal in Tobago. 

The government anticipates that once completed, the airport will bring significant boost to the overall economy of Tobago as more international airlines will arrive to the small island, bringing much more tourists than usual.