Our Achievements

The JCAA continues to achieve milestones which contribute to the advancement of the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ’s) policy objectives of increasing the efficiency and capacity of our air transport sector. These have enhanced the industry’s ability to more safely and effectively transport passengers, goods and services, across various locations, locally, across the region and internationally.

Projects have been prioritised to enable :

  • growth and development of Jamaica’s air transport industry
  • a comprehensive modernization of Jamaica’s air navigation infrastructure
  • the continued development of Jamaica’s technical infrastructure and human capital to ensure that we meet our obligations under the Chicago Convention and other international obligations
  • the modernization of the JCAA’s Information & Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure
  • compliance with the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as the Government of Jamaica’s governance requirements for the management and administration of public bodies

Modernization of Jamaica’s Air Navigation Services (ANS) infrastructure

New Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower commissioned at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) on November 16, 2016.

  • Similar tower to be commissioned at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) within the upcoming months.
  • Towers were constructed at a cost of CDN $22 million or J$ 2.57 billion.
  • Main infrastructure for a new, state-of-the-art TopSky Air Traffic Management (ATM) System already installed. Other ATM upgrades, being implemented at a cost of $4.92 billion, include:
    • three (3) new radars, incorporating new L-Band Primary and Mode-S Radar Technology,
    • a Voice Communications & Control System (VCCS)
    • Systems were successfully factory-tested.
    • Site Acceptance Tests were completed for the Voice Recording System (VRS) and Voice Communications & Control System (VCCS).
  • Procurement and receipt of servers and other critical equipment for the Kingston Air Traffic Control Centre (KATCC)
  • Installation of consoles for the TopSky Air Traffic Management (ATM) system
  • Full population of the NMIA approach sector with all necessary communication devices
  • Installation of the Fiber Optics interface and other equipment for interconnecting the new Voice Communications and Control System (VCCS) and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Simulator room
  • Installation of a new Instrument Landing System at the Sangster International Airport at a cost of US $609, 000.
    • System will enhance the quality of Jamaica’s air navigation services, by providing pilots with vertical and horizontal guidance during the landing approach.
    • ILS to be commissioned following successful completion of a pre-commissioning quality assurance inspection or ‘Flight Check’, scheduled for the March, 2017

Microwave Network

  • New microwave radio network implemented at a cost of approximately USD700, 000
    • Triples the information-carrying capacity of the previous network
    • Has minimized the risk of critical data loss from radar and other sites.
  • Advanced construction of new Network Operations and Control Centre (NOCC) to enable remote monitoring and preventative maintenance of key equipment.

Industry Growth

  • Jamaica’s air transportation industry now serves over 5 million passengers annually with this figure increasing year after year
  • Air traffic movements totalled 182,653 flights over the 2015-16 year, with the highest monthly air traffic volume, of 17,320 flights, recorded in December, 2015.
  • The monthly average for Jamaica’s airspace is 15,000 traffic movements, with a daily average of 500 traffic movements
    • The JCAA’s air traffic control centres efficiently and safely manage air traffic across 125,000 nautical square miles of airspace, extending from the Flight Information Regions (FIRs) of Havana to the north; Panama and Barranquilla (Columbia) to the South; Central America to the west; Curacao to the east; and Haiti to the north east.
    • The JCAA’s Kingston Air Traffic Control Centre (KATCC) also provides safe and efficient air traffic management services, on a daily basis, to the controlled airspace surrounding Cayman’s major airports, between the hours of 7 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • The JCAA’s Flight Safety Department conducts scheduled and unscheduled Safety and Security audits, inspections and licensing activities to ensure the highest levels of safety and security for all users of our air transport system.