TIMEHRI - The Management of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has undertaken to submit a comprehensive report of the Airport’s expansion project to the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson, by Friday June 5, 2015.
This document will afford the Minister an opportunity to familiarize himself with the project before discussing it at Cabinet.
Hon. David Patterson toured the site on May 29, 2015 and was briefed on the US $150M project including, the design of the new terminal building and the relocation of individuals occupying CJIA’s lands.
Following the tour and presentation, the Minister told officaCJIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir; Officials of Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); and Engineers from the Ministry and CJIA that the information provided to him “was a lot to contemplate.”
According to Minister Patterson, his Government has no issue with the extension of the runway, but tangible justifications must be provided for the construction of a new terminal building since it “hinges on the final cost of the project.”
Ruminating on the concern of persons occupying CJIA’s land, relocation options were suggested, including the establishment of a housing scheme at Yarrowkabra, Linden Highway. However, the Minister intimated that the concern has to be addressed as a social issue and charged the stakeholders to arrive at an acceptable solution, since the approval of the expansion project will be hinged on a successful resolution of this matter.
The airport expansion project was conceptualized under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration and a contract was inked with China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) in 2011.
Key components of the expansion project include: The extension of the runway from 7,500 to 10,800 feet – to accommodate the BOEING 747-400 aircraft; Doubling of Aircraft Position from four to eight; installation of eight Passenger Boarding Bridges; and the fortification of the CCTV system with approximately 300 cameras.
