A major infrastructure oversight has emerged at Tobago’s newly constructed ANR Robinson International Airport terminal, with the National Petroleum Company Ltd (NP) confirming that connecting fuel lines from the existing airport site to the new terminal will carry a price tag of $50 million. THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine recently verified the cost estimate, shedding light on a critical gap in the terminal’s construction: the new building was completed without any on-site fuelling infrastructure at all. In an interview with local media outlet Express, Augustine detailed that discussions with NP several months ago yielded the $50 million projection, adding that the national energy firm is currently debating whether it will absorb the full cost of the project. For Augustine and the Tobago House of Assembly, the project is far more than a basic construction fix: the regional body wants the new terminal to meet modern, efficient, and competitive standards that match or exceed peer airports across the Caribbean and broader global aviation network. The oversight, Augustine explained, is not an unforeseen mistake. He recalled that former THA Infrastructure Secretary Trevor James first flagged the need for integrated fuelling infrastructure back in 2022, when the ruling PNM Cabinet held a gathering in Tobago at the prime minister’s official residence. Despite the early warning, Augustine said, the THA’s input was sidelined, and construction proceeded without including this critical utility. “But of course, as usual, in 2022 the THA was ignored, our thoughts were not considered at the time and the terminal was built without that critical infrastructure there,” Augustine stated. Even with the past disregard for local input, Augustine emphasized that the THA remains committed to collaborating with Trinidad and Tobago’s central government to get the terminal fully and efficiently operational. He framed the airport as a key economic asset for Tobago, rather than just a transit hub for passengers. “Airports in of themselves are potentials for generating income; we have to see the airport as such and not just as a hub for planes to land and pick up people, but as an income-generating facility,” he said. The issue has now gained traction at the national level: Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John acknowledged the problem in a Monday interview with Express, confirming that the project will require design adjustments to address the fuelling gap. John shared that she shares concerns over the terminal’s current lack of fuelling capacity, and has scheduled a meeting with relevant officials later this week to map out a path forward. The full proposal to resolve the issue will be presented to the national Cabinet for consideration next week.