Plans are afoot by the Bermuda Airport Authority to establish a centre of excellence so that talent may be nurtured to support the island’s aviation sector.

Lawrence Scott, the BAA board chairman, said that the organisation is also pursuing the expansion of airspace limits that fall under the island’s air traffic control.

Mr Scott told the Rotary Club of Hamilton lunch that the moves were part of the BAA’s preparations for the management of LF Wade International Airport when the Bermuda Skyport Corporation Ltd contract with the Government ends in 2047.

The BAA is responsible for overseeing the project agreement between the Government and Skyport.

Mr Scott explained: “What we are doing with that responsibility … is to create opportunities for Bermudians to get into the aviation industry as a career.

“It is more than just pilots or flight attendants … we need accountants, regulators, electricians for air traffic control systems, meteorologists for aviation and aircraft weather, and we even need content creators for social media and public relations.”

Mr Scott said the BAA is developing plans for the centre of excellence and funds for the programme will be allocated in the Budget.

As part of the project, he said the organisation is contacting schoolchildren who are interested in science, technology and mathematics to make sure that they are aware of aviation career opportunities.

He told The Royal Gazette: “We are looking at creating an actual company, the airport authority can create its own company.

“The centre of excellence would be looking to train Bermudians and having counterparts from overseas being trained by us and then taking that knowledge back to their respective jurisdictions and organisations.”

Mr Scott said the BAA is on a public relations push “to just let people know what we’re about and get feedback”.

He told the Rotary club: “We will need Bermudians, what we are doing is providing these opportunities, this pathway so that when the time comes for us to take our airport back, Bermudians will be at the helm.

“Someone may say, why should I care about the BAA? … and it is because we could provide a career in an industry that has an economic impact of three quarters of a billion dollars annually.”

In Bermuda, air traffic control service is provided to aircraft that are laterally within a five-mile radius from the airport.

The boundary extends vertically to 2,500ft and both limits fall within Class C airspace, in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation regulations.

The BAA oversees the provision of air traffic control services at the airport, provided within the airspace limits.

Mr Scott said the body is in pursuit of an expansion of the boundaries, which would bring financial benefit to the BAA.

He said: “We are actively pursuing increasing our airspace, we are doing the due diligence part of it now.

“We started the process back in 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic and now, we are now looking back to expanding that service.”

The aviation services provided to airlines and private aircraft would generate income as the companies would be charged a navigation fee when moving through the expanded airspace.

Mr Scott said: “We consider it revenue, but it is sort of offsetting the cost for the air navigation and it would also bring additional jobs.

“What we would do is that we would be supporting New York Oceanic [control centre] for the oceanic flights crossing because they are using our radar, but we would be providing the service.”

He said the infrastructure as well as start-up costs and monies which would be generated from the upgrade are being examined.

Mr Scott told attendees: “Aviation touches all of our lives, aviation is a multiplier in an economy.

“That goes from basically business locations, tourism, international business, healthcare, emergency response, just to name a few.”

Mark Bourne, the director of air navigation services at the BAA, highlighted the importance of aviation to the island.

He said: “At its heart, aviation is about the people. The people who keep our sky safe, our island connected and our future moving forward.

“For Bermuda, aviation is not simply a mode of transport, it is a line that connects our local community to the global stage.”

Mr Bourne highlighted the importance of the services provided by the BAA, including air traffic control service, and noted the recent certification of four young ATC specialists.

“Aviation is not only about where we fly but it is also about who we develop along the way,” he told attendees.