Jamaica explores feasibility of air cargo hub

 Jamaica's cabinet has approved a proposal to conduct a feasibility study for the long-term development of the Vernamfield Aerodrome in Clarendon as an air cargo hub for the Caribbean region.

Development Minister Donald Buchanan said permission had been granted for the development unit of the Cabinet Office to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with Surrey Paving and Aggregate (SPA) to be vetted by the cabinet for the study to be undertaken.

Mr Buchanan said the investment by SPA, in association with Simat Hellieson and Eichner, was "venture capital" and at no cost or liability to the government, reported The Jamaica Observer.

The 1,173-hectare site has not been used since the US Air Force lease expired in 1999. It was handed over to the Jamaica Defence Force in February of this year with the intention that an air wing would be established. Farmers occupy the remaining land.

The government has been pressing for the redevelopment of the airstrip and included it in the portfolio of Millennium Projects formulated by the Development Bank of Jamaica, which proposed that a cargo airport be built complete with warehousing and full logistics facilities on 323 hectares of the site.

The newspaper report said that since then, two preliminary studies have been conducted on the facility. "It is being proposed that the scope be expanded beyond what was originally contemplated," said Mr Buchanan.

He said the study would, among other things, explore the potential of using the site for air cargo transshipment, warehousing, aircraft maintenance, and also as a central hub for connecting seaport cargo for onward air distribution and free zone shopping.

Mr Buchanan maintains the project has "vast possibilities to catalyse and be one of the major factors in terms of the south west coast development of Jamaica which will be one of the development areas to receive priority considerations in the period."