The government of Trinidad and Tobago has commemorated the practical completion of the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport (TAB) in Tobago.
First proposed in 2017, the country’s government put forward plans to develop a completely new airport terminal at the same aerodrome, to replace the aging terminal located in Crown Point, Tobago. Headed up by the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO), the project was contracted to the China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Company Limited, at a cost of US $144 million based on figures last presented in December 2024.
Construction of the new terminal began in July 2020, and is set to be capable of handling up to three million passengers per year. The new terminal will bring a number of upgrades over the existing building, including fully air-conditioned facilities, duty-free shopping, a food and drinks area, and other retail spaces associated with most larger airports.
To match today’s modern standards, the new airport features jet bridges, LED lighting, high-efficiency air-conditioning, and solar panels to offset power consumption.
The building design is similar to a number of other Caribbean airports, featuring high ceilings with an all-glass exterior, offering passengers and other patrons an excellent view of the surrounding areas.
For now, the airport is at the practical completion stage, meaning that major work has been completed and handed over to the government of Trinidad and Tobago. From here on, the contractor is now responsible for finishing minor fixes and other defects, before the respective tenants can move in.
Final works are set to be completed by the end of April 2025, with first flights operating out of the new terminal from July 2025.
According to the original design plans, the airport was set to be capable of handling up to five wide body aircraft (including Boeing 747s and Airbus A330s), with four additional spots for smaller turboprop aircraft (mainly for Caribbean Airlines ATR service).
For now, only two jet bridges have been installed even though the ramp itself will be capable of facilitating the initial aircraft numbers. As Tobago currently has a limited number of medium and heavy flights, the decision is understandable, and additional bridges can be fitted in in the planned spots once traffic numbers increase over time.
At the commemoration ceremony, Prime Minister Keith Rowley mentioned that the new airport is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to attracting more tourists to the island, bringing up the need for modern hotel developments.
In January, I talked about a few hotel projects that are currently in the pipeline to bring major brands to Tobago. So far, Marriott and Hyatt have been in partnership with local developers to bring two all-inclusive resorts to the island. There are a few other smaller developments, along with the Choice Hotels’ Comfort Inn which opened in mid-2022.
After talks with Sandals Resorts fell through in early 2019, PM Rowley announced that he has restarted conversations with the management team, stating that the company’s chairman Adam Stewart will be visiting Tobago in April.
I was not able to attend the commemoration ceremony, but here are a few photos taken just two days before.
When I get proper confirmation on a public opening date, I’ll book a flight so I can share the arriving and departing experience, as well as tour the publicly accessible sections of the terminal.
