Guyana government going full steam ahead with airport expansion

Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has said that his government will go ahead with plans to expand the Ogle Airport to accommodate regional carriers.

Jagdeo made the announcement during a media conference last Thursday, saying that once the facility was "brought up to scratch" it would ease the pressure at Guyana’s only international airport, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri.

"We still plan to move the project forward," the President said. "In fact, there is a bid out for extending the runway [and] we got a grant from the European Union, the Regional Executive Programme, of Euro1.5 million."

The Guyanese leader noted, however, that if government was to invest public funds which could have been used for other projects to upgrade the facility, the beneficiary base must be expanded.

Meanwhile, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Dr. Edwin Carrington, who is visiting Guyana during the current CARIFESTA celebrations in that country, said that the facility would be critical in carrying out the Secretariat’s functions in June of next year.

He noted that the expanded airport would enhance relations among Guyana, other CARICOM states and Latin America.

At present, five domestic aircraft services are operating from the Ogle Airport and its current use is limited to flights going into the hinterland communities in Guyana.

When completed, the facility will accommodate flights from Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica, among other countries.

A state-of-the-art air traffic control tower, along with immigration and customs facilities, has already been constructed and earlier this year staff were trained in efficient functioning of the facility.

(Caribbean Net News)