An aerial view of the Norman Manley International Airport on Tuesday, January 2. - Photo by J.S. Tyndale-Biscoe Photography

John Myers Jr., Business Reporter

The Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ), which is in the final stages of completing phase 1A of a capital expansion programme at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA), will be seeking private investors to transform the airport into a major air cargo trans-shipment hub for the Central and South American region.

President of theAAJ, Earl Richards, said the aim is to market Jamaica as a viabl to Miami for cargo coming from within the hemisphere into Europe.

"It has become extremely difficult and cumbersome to move such cargo through Miami which is really the principal hub for moving such cargo and we have a more friendly environment," said Richards Wednesday.

He was quick to point out, however, that having a more friendly environment did not mean our facilities were less secure.

Some $250 million has already been invested to expand cargo capacity at NMIA, the airport official said, to boost handling of goods.

But the AAJ, in the next expansion round, plans to leave any other capital spending on the cargo programme to private investors.

"We are planning the second phase but our present plan is not to build it but to seek partners to enter into an investment arrangement and so we will soon be on the market," he said at the monthly Mayberry Investment Forum where he was featured speaker.

"We are intending to really drive the cargo business at Norman Manley."

Richards said that even though Kingston-based Norman Manley handles more cargo than passengers annually - opposite to its sister Sangster International in Montego Bay - the trans-shipment of goods has never been regarded as an important component of its business mix.

Cinderella segment

In fact, Richards labelled it "The Cinderella segment of the business."

Cargo movement through the NMIA last year reached approximately 15 million tonnes, compared with the just over four million tonnes that passed through the Sangster Airport over the same period.

Passenger movement at the NMIA on the other hand peaked at about 1.7 million last year, compared with 3.4 million at the Sangster Airport over the similar period.

Cargo movement through the NMIA last year reached approximately 15 million tonnes, compared with the just over four million tonnes that passed through the Sangster Airport over the same period.

Peaked movement

Passenger movement at the NMIA on the other hand peaked at about 1.7 million last year, compared with 3.4 million at the Sangster Airport over the similar period.

Still: "We are really just handling a small percentage of air cargo that we believe we should be handling at Norman Manley," Richards said.

Internationally, air cargo transshipment has increased two folds every 10 years since 1970 and forecasts by the International Air Transportation Association predict the business will triple current levels in the next 20 years.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation air cargo movement will reach 22.17 million tonnes.

Richards noted that the recent construction of a cold room facility to store cargo containing perishables by Air Jamaica at NMIA was timely in light of trends indicating an increase in the transshipment of food items from Jamaica to the various overseas markets.

john.myers@gleanerjm.com