The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is calling for regional discussions over the longstanding control that Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) holds over a vast area of Eastern Caribbean airspace, known as the Piarco Flight Information Region (FIR).
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, July 11th, 2025, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves highlighted what he described as an inequitable and opaque arrangement that leaves SVG and other neighbouring states without a share in the revenue or oversight of airspace that includes their sovereign territories.
> “They (T&T) make the money from the space that’s part of our property,” Dr. Gonsalves stated, underscoring frustrations over the management and financial distribution related to the region.
The Piarco FIR (TTZP), headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, spans from Antigua in the north to Trinidad in the south, stretching east of Barbados almost halfway across the Atlantic toward Africa. It covers an estimated area from 10° to 18° North Latitude and 38° to 65° West Longitude, including airspace over several Caribbean nations.
Dr. Gonsalves explained that this arrangement originated during colonial times, when the FIR was administered jointly by colonial authorities and private firms. Following independence, Trinidad and Tobago—under the leadership of the late Dr. Eric Williams—secured exclusive control of the region’s air traffic oversight.
Today, that control remains intact, with T&T collecting all revenue generated from the FIR, including overflight fees, while regional neighbours—such as SVG, Barbados, and other OECS members—are shut out of both revenue-sharing and governance.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the airspace above each country is part of its sovereign domain. Yet, despite the direct impact on these countries, they have no input into decisions made about the management of the region’s skies, no access to transparent accounting, and no share in the income generated.
“This is about fairness,” Gonsalves said. “The issue might sound complex, but the principle is simple—if it’s over our territory, we should benefit too.”
In drawing comparisons, Gonsalves pointed to French territories like Martinique and Guadeloupe, which have long-standing arrangements with the United Kingdom that guarantee them a portion of airspace-related benefits. He suggested that a similar model of cooperation and revenue sharing could be pursued within the Caribbean context.
The Vincentian leader concluded by reiterating his government’s intention to raise the matter at the regional level, advocating for dialogue, greater transparency, and an equitable distribution of the economic returns generated from Caribbean airspace.
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