The Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) recorded an overall increase in passenger movement last year, with the international arrivals up by 9% and arriving passengers representing the majority of the traffic.
“Between January 1 and December 31, 2018, 630,143 passengers were processed as compared to 592,053 in 2017. This represents a 7% increase from the corresponding period last year,” the airport said on its Facebook page.
“Additionally, for the first time, arriving passengers represented a larger percentage of the total number,” it added, while noting that 325,800 international passengers arrived last year, representing a 9% increase over the previous year.
While six airlines offer flights from the CJIA to various destinations, travel between Guyana and New York City continued to account for the most traffic at 34% last year. Further, travel between Guyana and Canada, Aruba and Miami accounted for 15%, 14% and 12%, respectively, of the traffic. Additionally, the post said Panama, Jamaica, Cuba and Barbados were responsible for 9%, 7%, 3% and 2% respectively, of the traffic, while other countries accounted for 1%.
According to the CJIAC, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, credited his APNU+AFC government’s sound economic policies and its unwavering advocacy for an enabling environment for investors, including the introduction of a new airline, as being responsible for the increase in travel here.
But Patterson also pointed out that other factors, such as increased business interest in oil and gas, would have contributed to the increase.
Further, he said that tourists also came to these shores last year in large numbers for a number of local festivities and celebrations, such as Bartica Regatta and the Rupununi Rodeo, along with investment forums.
The airport is currently being expanded under a still ongoing US$150 million project, which the CJIA said is to accommodate additional traffic that is anticipated in the coming years.
But although its completion date was given as December, 2018, the works continue and questions remained unanswered on current developments or when the project will be finished. Patterson in late October had assured that the project would be completed by December 31, 2018, a year later than the original deadline.
At that time, Patterson said that the new Arrivals and Departure sections had been opened to passengers. He added that two of the boarding bridges were operational while two more would have been operational by the end of November 2018.
Sources close to the project have told this newspaper that the Contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is responsible for the failure to meet the deadline, which could see 5% of the US$150 million contract sum withheld and utilised as liquidated damages.
Government is to meet with the company to discuss the percentage of work remaining and the estimated time of completion but officials have told Stabroek News that “this government does not intend to pay a cent more” than the agreed costs.
Patterson, who is out of the country on work duty, promised that he will provide an update on the project when he returns.
