Ogle airport open to regional flights
By Neil Marks
Guyana Chronicle
March 17, 2007
THE opening of the Ogle airport terminal to accommodate regional flights closed the $400M first phase of the expansion project and paves the way for the second phase which will cost some $600M with major grant financing from the European Commission, Chairman Mr. Michael Correia said yesterday.
President Bharrat Jagdeo hailed the five businessmen – Correia, Anthony Mekdeci, Beni Sankar, Mazahar Ally and Gerry Gouveia – for persevering in their vision for the Ogle airport, commending the private sector, as in the case of the Berbice River Bridge, for investing in public infrastructure. He said the Ogle expansion was “badly lacking” and the completion of the first phase represented “hard work”.
The airport is now ready to accommodate the smaller regional airline operators that can provide direct linkages to the international airports in Cayenne, Boa Vista, Porto Ordaz and Paramaribo and to serve as a hub for through traffic from the Caribbean, Correia said at the opening of the terminal building.
Upon completion of the second phase towards the end of 2008, Ogle located on the East Coast Demerara, five minutes away from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) headquarters and the Guyana International Conference Centre, will be ready to accommodate the airline operators from the Caribbean, potentially Caribbean Airlines, LIAT and American Eagle, Correia said.
Ogle has become the hub of all domestic air transport travel, serving as the base now for some eight operators maintaining a fleet of more than 30 aircraft transporting about 60,000 passengers and 3,000 tons of cargo per year, and representing an investment of about $3 billion in fixed assets, aircraft and equipment, Correia stated.
Roraima Airways (owned by Gouveia) has constructed brand new facilities at the airport, and Correia pointed to two newly acquired Cessna Grand Caravans Turbo Prop aircraft owned by Air Services Limited (owned by Ally) and Trans Guyana Airways (owned by Correia) representing an additional investment of half a billion dollars.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, Mr. Edwin Carrington said with the completion of a proposed five star hotel and a shopping mall, the East Coast corridor in the vicinity of CARICOM headquarters, his office and the conference centre could effectively become “the virtual Brussels of the Caribbean.”
The government is repairing the access road to the airport at a cost of $60M, President Jagdeo said.
Correia said the Ogle expansion project is “emerging”. He said the first phase meets all the safety requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These include the construction of a 2,000 feet long and 60 feet wide Class 1A runway built to international specifications, aircraft taxi and parking areas and the opening of the new terminal building today, housing customs, immigration, health and air traffic control.
The present terminal building is designed to accommodate about 75,000 passengers per year, Correia stated.
The second phase will also further widen the taxiways and increase the size of the parking aprons. It will provide for additional drainage, fencing, and the installation of runway lights, as well as an improved navigation system and the upgrade of the fire service.
“What, we believe, makes this entire development unique is the partnership between the operators of Ogle Airport, the Government of Guyana and CARICOM,” Correia said.
He said it was the government and CARICOM that facilitated the European Commission approving a grant of 1.5M Euros for the second phase, representing two thirds of the total cost.
“Guyana benefits from the establishment of a second national airport with permanent, immovable infrastructure, built, financed and managed by private investors, supported and regulated by the government,” he said.
The second phase will further widen the runway to 100 ft and increase its length to 4,000 ft complying with ICAO’s Class 2C requirements. It will accommodate aircraft such as the Twin Turbo Prop Dash 8, 300 and include the expansion of this terminal to accommodate the movement of 150,000 passengers per year.
Correia noted that the expanded Ogle has been long in coming, spanning the sitting of four Presidents, and some 18 years, as it was in 1989 that the government asked ICAO to conduct an audit of the airport’s operations and the idea of Ogle becoming a municipal airport, was first seriously contemplated.
He noted that Guyana’s successful hosting of the Rio Group Summit has firmly established Guyana as the bridge between CARICOM and South and Latin America, and “aviation and, we believe, Ogle Airport, must, of necessity, play a critical role in our achieving that vision and developing that destiny for Guyana.”
He said the Aircraft Owners Association gave the government a guarantee in 1999 when Guyana Airways ceased operations, that it would provide an efficient and cost effective domestic air service at competitive rates.
“We believe that we have delivered on that undertaking. We have served as an example of a professional association of extremely diverse and competitive private businessmen working together in a highly complex and regulated industry in a common cause to serve the nation.”
“We have kept the faith in our country. We have stayed the course. It has taken courage, fortitude, patience and persistence,” he stated.
“We would like the international community, international investors, the general public and the media to take note of the new investments being made by the domestic private sector. This is a positive sign of increased investor confidence in our future,” Correia declared.
President Jagdeo assured the private sector of the government’s continued support and urged the Ogle investors to work to make the airport viable and profitable, and thus pave the way for further expansion.
Mr. Carrington said the transformation of Ogle into a regional airport with easy access to Georgetown opens up “limitless” possibilities for investors and tourism.