THE EDITOR: In my capacity as Minister of Works and Transport, it is my privilege to extend congratulations to the Airports Authority of TT for Piarco International Airport's monumental and historic win.

Our airport has garnered the prestigious awards of Best Airport in the Caribbean by the Skytrax World Airport Awards for 2020 to 2021, the Third Best Airport in the Central American and Caribbean region and has also ranked first place as the Caribbean's Cleanest Airport. The Skytrax World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the aviation industry.

Achieving these honours is an impressive feat at a time when global air travel has been devastated by the covid19 pandemic. Airports have lost 95 per cent of their revenue from aviation and other sources. But to the credit of all Piarco International Airport staff, they have met the current challenge with adaptability, innovation and grace, receiving worldwide recognition during a time of minimal resources to make TT beam with pride.

In the spirit of team acumen, the authority joined hands with the TT Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Security, and the Office of the Prime Minister to enhance safety systems and protocols to keep the covid19 virus at bay, all while providing a positive customer experience.

It is evident that the authority has succeeded in raising the bar of excellence for our nation with the achievement of this benchmark for quality in aviation. I look forward to the additional ways that both Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airports will keep contributing to the appeal of destination TT, to bring about greater economic gains in the transportation and tourism sectors.

ROHAN SINANAN

Minister of Works and Transport