JAMAICA HAS entered into a new 'open skies' air service agreement with the United States, that has broken new ground in cargo movement.
The new 'all-cargo' arrangement allows Jamaica to move freight directly from points in the United States to a third country, without having to touch on its home soil - and similarly for the US.
This now affords Jamaica the opportunity to sell itself as a transshipment location to large corporations wanting a central point from which to distribute their products within the hemisphere.
The Vernamfield Cargo Aerodrome project is being developed for that very purpose. According to information on the design concept acquired by Builders Forum, Vernamfield, is to be transformed into an airport and industrial park under a two-phase plan for which the indicative cost is US$450 million.
The site covers 2,900 acres which has been idle since 1999 when the lease held by the United States Air Force expired.
It is named as a 'millennium project' to complement the Highway 2000 development, and like the toll road, will be pushed as a private sector investment.
The project components include: centralised sorting and cargo clearance centres for freight forwarding and courier services, customs and immigration services, parking facilities for 100 trucks at dock, each with the capacity for 14 freight forwarders warehousing facilities for off-site manufacturers
- distribution centres 1.96 million square foot/3 storey express courier cargo facility for cold storage and sorting equipment to handle 120,000 parcels per hour
- commercial free zone targeting Jamaican and hemispheric retailers and suppliers, backed by supporting services for banking, customs brokerage, and freight forwarding, 60 room hotel
- aerodrome and telecommunication centre aircraft maintenance
- base for the Jamaica Defence Force's air wing, including hangars for its fleet, barracks and medical station fire and rescue station. The idea is to provide a tax-free environment in which international companies can do conduct business with other parts of the world, hence the proposal for free zone status. There is also a proposal to exempt clients from visa requirements.
The Vernamfield Cargo Aerodrome project envisions a multi-modal transport and cargo handling system backed by advanced telecommunications technology that links into the rest of the world.
