The recent imbroglio surrounding the construction of the new passenger terminal building at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago underscores the fact that many people in TT do not understand the difference between a terminal building and an airport.
Many commentators in TT refer to the construction of the "new airport" in Tobago, when in fact what is being constructed is a modern passenger terminal.
Likewise, to this day, many people refer to the north terminal building at Piarco International Airport which was opened in 2001 as the "new airport," and the south terminal building as the "old airport."
There are several components of an airport, the main ones being the aerodrome, the passenger terminals, cargo warehouses, maintenance hangars and car parks.
An aerodrome is defined as "an area on land or water (including any buildings, installations and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure and surface movement of aircraft."
Aerodromes are vital links in the civil aviation network. They are the key interface between the payload (passengers and cargo) and aircraft. They are also the location where every flight begins and ends.
The land-based aerodrome at an international airport consists of runways, taxiways, tarmac, lighting systems, control towers, navigational aids and signage that are regulated in accordance with the standards of ICAO Annex 14 – Aerodrome.
Helipads are aerodromes for helicopters to land and take off at ground level.
Helidecks are aerodromes for helicopters to land and take off on elevated structures such as the top of buildings and offshore oil and gas platforms.
A water-based aerodrome is a defined area of water for an aircraft to land. In the 1940s, Pan American operated its fleet of Clipper aircraft into TT using a water-based aerodrome at Cocorite.
On January 8, 1945, during a second attempt to land at Cocorite, a Pan American flying boat named China Clipper touched the water at more-than-normal landing speed and with a nose-down attitude. The impact made the hull break into two and water poured into the cabin, and a major portion of the flying boat sank immediately. Of the 30 people on board, 23 died in the crash, including the pilot.
Today, terminal buildings are a critical part of airport systems and are designed to comply with ICAO Annex 9 – Facilitation and Annex 17 – Security.
Terminal buildings are divided into the landside and airside.
The landside is the area within the airport's boundaries that is open to the public and not restricted by security. It's the part of the airport that is farthest from the aircraft and is separated from the airside by access-control security checkpoints Landside activities include passenger check-in facilities, shops, restaurants and carparks.
The areas beyond security checkpoints in an airport terminal are considered airside areas and hold security-screened passengers awaiting aircraft boarding. These areas have shops, restaurants and airline lounges.
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