Govt extends lease on second blimp

Government sources revealed that Skyship Management, the company from which the second Skyship 600 was leased, is to purchase the non functioning Aeros 40B Skyship, the first blimp which Government acquired at a cost of $27 million from Worldwide Aeros last year.

Another 23 million was spent to add security equipment to the Aeros 40 B.

That skyship is non functional and is at a hanger at Camp Cumuto. The team from Worldwide Aeros which was contacted to repair the first blimp, was fired late December.

Skyship Management was given the contract to repair the Aeros 40 B.

Government was negotiating for Worldwide Aeros to take back the non functioning blimp and replace it at no additional cost to Government, but Worldwide Aeros refused. They claimed that unauthorised equipment aboard the blimp caused further problems and outright refused to take back the skyship.

Late December last year Government contracted Skyship Management the owners of the Skyship 600, to patrol the skies of Trinidad and Tobago for a three- month period at a cost of US$100,000 per month.

The lease expired in March.

Newsday learnt that the lease was extended recently although the Skyship 600 has not been seen for the past three weeks.

Sources at the Special Anti Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT) revealed that the second blimp will be seen carrying out patrols shortly.

When the third blimp arrives in the country, the first and second blimp will be sent back to Skyship Management. This means that the country will have only one blimp.