– Ogle Airport submits five-year plan to GCAA

THE Ogle Airport Inc (OAI) has submitted a five-year plan for the enhancement of the operations at the Eugene f. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

GCAA Director-General, Egbert Fields, said the authority is pleased with the objectives which were stated in the development plan.

“The plan includes more taxiways, widening of existing taxiways… it also includes steps to follow for the green state strategy by increasing solar power use,” said Fields during his remarks at the commissioning of a new taxiway at EFCIA on Thursday.
He said the continued growth and development of aviation shows the progress which the country is making in the sector.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, also commended OAI for submitting its five-year plan.

“In addition to the airport, I must commend each operator for what they are doing… this sector shows local content… I must commend operators for their patience when it comes to having access to extend their services,” said Sharma.

He believes that once the management of the airport and the various operators continue to work together, the aerodrome will continue to grow.

In an effort to ensure the relationship between the operators and the airport management is maintained, government will soon reconstitute the Airport Review Committee.
The committee has been dormant for years so government, through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, will look to constitute the committee in a short space of time.
“The airport review panel will be set up to deal with issues affecting the further development of the airport and the rate in which they will develop,” said Sharma, adding that management of the airport and the operators will appear before the committee to discuss and resolve grievances.

Meanwhile, government has been extending its focus to airstrips across the country. Sharma said his ministry has been working to ensure that all airstrips are in good condition.

A $137 million contract was recently awarded for the paving of the airstrip at Lethem and work is expected to commence in two weeks.

The Lethem airstrip is 6,000ft, but government will be paving 4,000ft in order to accommodate certain aircraft. Sharma said the government will soon be paving the entire airstrip.

“Government is willing to work with operators to ensure that all the facilities are in a state of readiness to accommodate aircraft,” he said.

The minister said government will also be rehabilitating the aerodrome at Linden and will be looking at the possibility of opening new aerodromes.