OPERATORS of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA), PAC Kingston Airport Ltd (PACKAL), have received certification for the facility’s operation as a regulated aerodrome.

This was disclosed by Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) Director General Nari Williams-Singh during the certification ceremony at the JCAA’s corporate office in Kingston on Tuesday.

Williams-Singh said the certification is granted in accordance with JCAA regulations and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Aerodrome certification, a process mandated by ICAO and detailed in the organisation’s Annex 14, ensures that these facilities meet safety and operational standards, ultimately guaranteeing the safe movement of aircraft and passengers.

The process is a cornerstone of aviation safety, ensuring that aerodromes are adequately equipped, maintained and operated, and Williams-Singh described the certification as a major milestone in Jamaica’s aviation journey.

“This achievement that we are celebrating is not just a technical or administrative one. It is a symbol and, moreso, an outcome of what happens when regulatory guidance, a shared vision, compliance, collaboration and commitment to a line comes to a seamless whole,” he added.

Williams-Singh pointed out that NMIA’s certification under PACKAL’s management “is the result of a rigorous process, extensive planning, infrastructure improvements and significant human capital investment”.

The director general highlighted the importance of aviation to Jamaica’s progress, economy and growth, being the largest conveyor of visitors to the island, while fuelling trade, strengthening the country’s emergency response and opening pathways for global and regional integration.

“Accordingly, the continued development and certification of our aerodromes, like NMIA, is not an optional endeavour, but rather, it is very essential. We have an enviable safety record, and this certification will further give us the confidence and assurance that comes with enhanced international and operational standards, greater accountability and higher expectations for our airports and our aviation industry,” Williams-Singh said.

PACKAL’s Director of Operations Theresa Benjamin said the entity is “immensely proud of this moment and display of our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for air travel”.

She added that this “has been achieved as a direct result of the diligent efforts of the entire PACKAL team in pursuit of a single objective, namely a commitment to safety”.

Benjamin acknowledged the regulatory guidance provided by the JCAA during the years leading up to the certification, and she committed to the continued nurturing and strengthening of the important relationship between the authority and PACKAL and increasing the entity’s contribution to Jamaica’s aviation industry, specifically air travel through Kingston’s airport.

“We commit to building on this column of achievement, namely receipt of the Aerodrome Operator Certificate, with the future continued development of systems and procedures in pursuit of the goal of continuously improving safety for all at the NMIA,” she stated.