Vernamfield 40-year cargo plan sought

Jamaica is seeking aviation consultants to produce a 40-year master plan and business case for the Vernamfield aerodrome, which has the longest runway on the island.

The Airports Authority of Jamaica, AAJ, which regulates airports and aerodromes, wants the abandoned World War 2 airstrip in central Jamaica to become the largest cargo hub in the Caribbean.

Investors have until month end to make their submissions, the latest move in the long-standing efforts by the Jamaican Government to transform the facility into a commercial enterprise.

“The intention is to develop Vernamfield aerodrome to be the largest international and domestic air cargo hub in the region,” said the Airports Authority in bid documents dated December 20.

Over the decades, successive governments have sought to use the area as a hub for logistics activity while other administrations focused on its potential for passenger travel. Both visions, however, require resuscitating the main runway, airline connectivity, and support infrastructure such as fuel and maintenance services.

The AAJ, in its documentation, focused on cargo as the main potential business of the aerodrome. It described air cargo as vital for economic activity with its linkage to regional and global trade. Airline cargo also forms part of a value chain that links to trucking, logistics services, manufacturing, and consumer services.

“The Vernamfield light aerodrome master plan and business case will aim to deliver a longer-term opportunity to operate on-aerodrome cargo facilities and facilitate ongoing improvements to efficiency and productivity through investments,” the Airport Authority said, adding that the master plan would “identify all facilities required to support the air traffic forecast up to the year 2062”.

Part of the master plan and business case involves the related support services and the layout at the aerodrome to achieve efficiency and economic sustainability, as well as cost estimates.

As for the business case, the AAJ wants the consultants to test the feasibility, fiscal affordability and sustainability of the project.

The master plan and business case will proceed in four phases: site evaluation and data confirmation; examination of aerodrome facilities and demand capacity analysis; preparation of the Vernamfield master plan within 12 months of the appointment of a consultant; and preparation of a business case report within three months of government approvals.

The bids will be opened on January 31. The AAJ listed a raft of minimum benchmarks for the consultants. For instance, the individual, firm or joint ventures must have over 20 years in airport planning experience; must have experience working with international aviation bodies, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association; and must have earned above US$300,000 per annum from previous consulting services.

The Vernamfield airfield, located in Clarendon, was built to support the British and United States air troops fighting in World War 2. It originally had three runways, with one spanning 6,000 feet to accommodate large bomber aircraft landings.

These days, the community of Vernamfield is known more for car racing than its place in history around war efforts.

In January 2020, government representatives held sensitisation meetings with residents about the general plans for the Vernamfield redevelopment, but their execution seemed to have been delayed by the onset of COVID-19 pandemic two months later.

business@gleanerjm.com