Bermuda’s air traffic control area could be extended by 35 miles, it was revealed in the Throne Speech.

And cash generated by air traffic controllers taking over flights further out to sea could be used to help pay for the running of the airport and produce extra jobs for Bermudian air traffic controllers.

Airport general manager Aaron Adderley said: “We are now in the midst of conducting a feasibility study which will allow the area which falls under Bermuda air traffic controllers to be extended.

“Instead of a five mile area of airspace, we are looking at extending it out to 40 miles.”

Mr Adderley was speaking after Governor George Fergusson read the Throne Speech proposals by Government for the upcoming legislative year.

Mr Fergusson said: “The Department of Airport Operations, in conjunction with the aerospace company Boeing-Jeppessen, will carry out a feasibility study for Bermuda to become a certified Air Navigation Service Provider.

“This would enable Bermuda-based air traffic controllers to provide air traffic management services to aircraft arriving or departing here — a service currently provided by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) — and create the potential for Bermudian job opportunities in air traffic control.”

Mr Adderley added the Boeing-Jeppessen study would look at what is required, in terms of resources, to extend the Island’s reach and the manpower required.

He said: “When we become a certified air traffic services provider, we will be in a position to charge for these services and that money would then be reinvested into the airport infrastructure.”

Mr Adderley added that staff would need to be increased from the current level of five.

He said: “It would also provide additional job opportunities for Bermudians. We would need to expand the number of air traffic controllers, but to exactly what number we don’t know. These numbers will come out of the feasibility study.”

And he added: “This would allow the airport to become more self-sustaining. We are creating a financial resource from which to draw on to provide for all of our services, as opposed to drawing from Government.”