OGLE Airport Inc. has seen a significant increase in international passenger movement in 2017, a statement from the airport said recently.

According to Ogle Airport Inc. there were 5,138 outgoing passengers and 3,705 incoming passengers in 2017, while the airport experienced a decrease of domestic passenger movements with outgoing passengers decreasing by 14,190 and incoming passengers decreasing by 2,9490, said Chief Executive Officer, Col. (Ret’d) Anthony Mekdeci, in his Annual 2017 Report.

Mekdeci was at the time speaking at the airport’s June 20, 2018 Annual General Meeting. Additionally, he noted that domestic departing cargo increased by 1,409,926 and incoming domestic cargo increased by 99,055.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) also reported an increase in international departing cargo of 56,208 lbs and incoming cargo of 41,309 lbs.

Mekdeci reported too on a number of substantial development works being carried out at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) by OAI during 2017. Those works include the concreting of the extension of the taxiway to facilitate aircraft traffic movement to the JAGS and Hopkinson locations and completion of a fully air-conditioned solar powered building to house the installation of Distant Measuring Equipment (DME) to be installed and operated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The CEO disclosed that the main terminal building has benefitted from upgrades to improve its security capabilities at the airport as well as the continuous upgrading and maintenance of the airport’s perimeter fence.

“Consistent with the government’s Green Guyana Policy, the EFCIA terminal building has benefitted from the installation of a 20KWH solar system at the airport from the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), on an experimental basis to demonstrate the reliability of solar power generation,” said Mekdeci.

Moreover, he said airport staff, which included managers, duty officers and security, along with rescue and firefighting personnel, as well as airline operators underwent extensive Emergency Response Training.
“The airport also successfully completed a Full Scale Emergency/Contingency and Tabletop Exercise involving the simulation of an ATR72 aircraft accident and hijacking situation,” he reported.

A fire safety audit of all the airport’s facilities was also conducted by US based Firefighting and Emergency Response consultant, Capt. Jack McGovern while the airport has established its Runway Safety Team (RST), inclusive of all stakeholders, for the purpose of developing an Action Plan.

Meanwhile, at the said AGM, seven directors were elected. They are Michael O. Correia (Jnr.),

Nicole Correia, Anthony Mekdeci A.A, M.S; Ronald Reece, Marcel Gaskin, Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, A.A; and Timothy Monroe Jonas, LLB.