CONSTRUCTION is ongoing at Ogle Airport Inc., on East Coast Demerara, to ensure it provides a first-class international service which can accommodate regional carriers, such as LIAT and other airlines with larger aircraft, from next year.
Phase one of the upgrade has been completed and phase two, which includes an extended and widened runway, an expanded terminal, widening taxi ways and a new apron to facilitate the larger aeroplanes is well under way.
Chairman of the Airport Board, Mr. Michael Correia (Jnr) made the disclosure while delivering the feature address at the graduation of 20 Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School students, last Friday.
Directing his remarks to top LIAT officials and other senior staffers of the regional airline who were present, he said the airstrip at Ogle is being enlarged by 200 feet, from 4,000 feet, as they had requested.
Correia announced, too, that the board received a commitment, from Minister of Public Works, Mr. Robeson Benn, with respect to the installation of an enhanced air navigation system at Ogle, early next year.
Correia said such development of Ogle is being expedited, specifically, to facilitate planned LIAT operations.
He said phase two, with its bigger runway and increased facilities, will open the door for LIAT and other airlines with larger aircraft and that Ogle Airport is working closely with a team from LIAT to ensure all flight safety and security requirements are in place and compliant.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Correia said they would also be close collaboration with all security agencies to ensure full compliance with international standards and not only safe but customer friendly, as well.
He said domestic operations will also be subject to a higher level of security scrutiny.
Correia, who is also President of the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) said: “We are very serious about this collaboration with all parties to assure that Ogle Airport Inc. provides a first-class international service.
“The AOAG is committed to promoting and developing safety, better and more efficient regulated air services and an aviation infrastructure that is able to support Guyana and CARICOM’s development drive.
“We, fully, support the vision of a Caribbean trading bloc, in the form of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and a South American trading bloc, like MERCOSUR or the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).”
He observed that Guyana has the opportunity to link the two trading blocs, because of its strategically based geographical location.
“With Ogle serving as a regional airport and the CARICOM headquarters next door in Guyana, we believe we are uniquely placed to support that vision,” Correia added.
Ogle Airport Inc. is presently facilitating Brazilian traffic to Lethem, Rupununi, with about 12 flights weekly and to Suriname, on the route which opened earlier this year, with nine flights per week.