PASSENGER traffic at Guyana’s main port of entry –- the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) — rose by six percent for the month of January 2016, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has said.The airport’s statistics department revealed that 17,728 passengers arrived last month, compared to 16,667 passengers for the same period in 2015. According to Ramesh Ghir, CJIA Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, the proliferation in passenger numbers is due to leisure travel and increased business and tourism activities.

Analytical data also indicate that the airlines –- Caribbean Airlines, Dynamic Airways, COPA, Suriname Airways, Fly Jamaica and Insel Air -– have all recorded increases in passenger movement for that month.
“Our forecast for the next few months indicates that there will be a huge influx of visitors to celebrate our Golden Jubilee activities in May. Management, for its part, will be working to advance our infrastructure and services provided, including Immigration and Customs, to ensure a smooth process through the terminal building,” Mr. Ghir informed.

Anticipating a modern terminal building and extended runway, the CEO, like other Government officials, has aggressively been courting a number of North and Latin American airlines to ply the Georgetown route.

Airline executives look for unserved destinations with enormous potential, and Guyana is one such destination, due to heightened investments in oil and precious mineral explorations. Such investments attract premium passengers, which serve as a bonus for airlines serving any route.