—Minister Indar says second CJIA terminal, new regional airports and upgraded hinterland airstrips are part of plans to transform Guyana’s aviation sector
FOR several years now, a huge buzz has been generated concerning the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), at Timehri on the East Bank of Demerara, as well as the general expansion of Guyana’s aviation sector.
In recent years, the government has been actively working towards the expansion of this airport, a decision that was made as Guyana undergoes a magnitude of advancements across different sectors. Expansion talks also came as a result of Guyana’s enhanced tourism offerings and the increase in flight numbers coming to and leaving from the airport.
On Thursday, during a discussion on ‘The Guyana Dialogue’, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, spoke extensively about the continued expansion efforts by the government at the CJIA, as well as advancements in the aviation sector in Guyana.
The Minister reminded that BHM, a European firm in partnership with Manchester Airport Group, is constructing the second terminal at the CJIA. It will be around 150,000 square feet, promising modernity, along with the relocation of the control tower at the airport.
Noting the growth in the number of airlines here, Indar explained, “So we started out in 2020 with about four airlines. It was Copa America, Suriname Airways, Caribbean Airlines and American Airlines. But today, five years after, we have 16 airlines, and when those flights come in there’s no parking apron for those planes. So, we are moving that tower and we’ll put it in another location and we’ll extend that to create more parking aprons for planes.”
The Minister further said that they are adding more cameras and other security measures for added safety.
Looking towards the aviation sector, the Minister said that he was mandated and tasked to ensure that Guyana becomes the regional aviation hub and regional maritime hub.
On that note, he shared that there are currently two requests for proposals for an airport at Rose Hall in Region Six, which will have the capacity to handle jets. The length of the runway, according to Indar, is expected to be around 6,500 feet, which is longer than the runway at the Eugene F. Correia Airport (Ogle Airport) on the East Coast of Demerara.
“The Cheddi Jagan Airport is about eleven thousand two hundred and seventy something feet, which is the longest in the Caribbean. So, we are building one in Lethem for trade, tourism and other commerce, and we’re building one in Berbice too, because Berbice, it has its own development part, according to what we have put forward in our manifesto to make sure a second pipeline (as it relates to gas to energy) goes there,” he revealed.
He posited that with all the advancements happening in that Region, there will be a need for people to get in and out quickly. At present, the Minister announced that there are two requests out for proposals for an airport at Rose Hall.
“In addition to the many airstrips across the hinterland that we have, we have about 55 active airstrips. We have built about in excess of 10 to 12 of them in the last couple of years. We have put out a request for proposals to construct another 35 of them with using concrete and you know, making it durable for another 100 years,” Indar disclosed.
