The Foxtrot (F) taxiway at the Eugene F Correia International Airport was officially commissioned yesterday, just six months after construction commenced.
The approximately $70 million taxiway connects Taxiway Bravo (B) and Charlie (C) to the airport’s main runway. The taxiway is 200 metres long as is required by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In a statement at the commissioning, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ogle Airport Inc (OAI) Anthony Mekdeci said that the airport has been working since 2001 to improve operations in compliance with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) regulations an ICAO standards. “The new taxiway will vastly improve efficiency and economy of the aircraft operations when taxiing to and from the runway and greatly reduce runway occupancy time. It will also improve the safety of fixed wing aircraft and helicopter operations,” his statement said.
Director-General of the GCAA Egbert Field also spoke at the event and he noted that the airport, which has a 4200-ft long runway, has become the busiest in the Caribbean as a result of the oil and gas and industries, which have driven a rush for the movement of aircraft.
He stated that the commissioning does not only represent the growth of the Eugene F. Correia aerodrome but represents the growth and development of the local aviation industry and Guyana at large.
Field noted that the new taxiway will aid in expediting traffic at the airport that accumulates in the morning hours. “…It signals the progress this country is making in this sector. It is also indicative of the robust capacity of the GCAA to support the growth and development which is taking place in aviation at this time, a sector which is extremely vital to the development of Guyana,” he said.
Field told the gathering that he would have received the airport’s five-year development plan and shared that the plan includes more taxiways, the widening of taxiways and the increase in extension of solar power use as all landing lights currently on the runway are solar powered. He then assured the officials at the airport of the GCAA’s continued support for initiatives which foster growth and the enhancement of safety in aviation.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Jaipaul Sharma commended the operators for the work that they are doing within the aerodrome and noted that it is “local content at its best,” with one exception as ExxonMobil will be accessing a portion of the land to construct its headquarters. He added that local content will progress nevertheless.
Sharma went on to say that the administration is working to constitute the airport review committee, which was part of the lease agreement in 2001.
He mentioned that the committee was not put in place for some 17 years subsequent to the agreement. Sharma further commended the timely construction of the taxiway and added that with further expansions which are expected to be made to facilitate helicopters and more aircraft, it will be aiding stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to carry out their operations.
According to the minister, the airport is expected to be a busier one with the expected expansions to facilitate more helicopters.
The airport has engaged the GCAA to establish an area where helicopters can operate without mixing with the fixed wing aircraft and passengers. Operators including Air Services Ltd, Trans Guyana Airways and Jags Aviation Inc. are all constructing helicopter aprons in preparation.
