THE Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) is now scheduled to be completed by December 2018 after several delays.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, during examinations of the 2018 budget estimates told the National Assembly that despite the delays, “there are no cost implications.”

Whilst acknowledging that the project is behind schedule due to several reasons, the minister gave the assurance that during the first quarter of 2018, the new arrivals terminal building, generator building, pipe installation, pump station and water tank, boarding corridor and passenger boarding bridges will be completed.
However, work on the check-in and departure lounges and remaining works on the departure terminal, screening and VIP areas and the south-west runway will be completed by December 2018.

“In Guyana dollars, the total project costs $30.9B. Expenditure as at December 31, 2017, will be $24.1B. We are projected to spend $5B on expenditure in 2018; this will give a total of $29.1B which leaves $1.8B for retention in 2019… The defect liability is one year and we put the completion date for everything at December 2018. There are no cost implications for the delay of the project,” Minister Patterson explained when questioned.

In July of this year, $300M, in addition to the $9B allocated in the 2017 Budget, for the CJIA’s expansion, has been pumped into the project to facilitate its completion.
Minister Patterson outlined that the terminal building area will increase from 13,431 to 13,737 square metres; checking counters will be increased from 20 to 32, and the runway length increased from 10,066 metres to 10,090 metres.

The project was scheduled to be completed within 32 months of its commencement in 2013; however, the deadline was extended to December 1, 2017, after several delays were encountered. The project was also put on hold following discussions between the minister, and the contracting company, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC).
When completed, the US$150M expansion project is expected to yield two passenger boarding bridges for arrival and departures; a 450-seat departure area, escalators and elevators, in addition to its extended runway catering for larger categories of aircraft.