US$138M airport expansion…Bigger terminal building, parking lots, longer runway

Mar 18, 2012 News

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…more check in booths, security, larger apron

A US$138M project to modernize the Cheddi Jagan

International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, is expected to see longer runways, a two-storey terminal building, passenger loading bridges, more check-in counters and concession spaces.
The project, the construction of which is set to last for 32 months, will also allow for a larger apron to park planes and be fully equipped with close circuit television (CCTV), building automation system and several large screen TVs displaying flight information.
According to the CJIA contract, on November 11, 2011, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Limited of Beijing, China, inked the agreement for a Design and Build project to the tune of US$138M. The money is a loan from China’s Export/Import Bank.
This excludes all taxes, duties, royalties and fees of all kinds imposed by the Guyana Government.
Signing on behalf of the government for the Ministry of Public Works was its Permanent Secretary, Balraj Balram, and Ren Guangjie, General Manager of the Business Development Department of CHEC.
The contractor, CHEC, is also expected to lodge a performance security to the tune of 10% of the contract price.
Under the contract, the primary runway is to be extended 1,066.8 meters, to reach a total length of 3,336.8 meters in order to satisfy the operational requirements of wide-body aircraft. A turning area is to be provided at the end of the extension. Navigation facilities such as lighting are to be installed and a service vehicle lane is to be provided as well as emergency facilities such as fire fighting systems.
Terminal Building
Regarding the terminal building, a new two-storey terminal building is to be built west of the existing one, and is to be divided into two parts– the terminal building and the departure lounges/gates and arrival concourse.
On the second floors of the terminal building will be the Departure level with space for airlines’ back-of-counter office space, concessions and security check point (x-ray).

On the first floor (the arrival level), it is planned that there will be baggage make-up rooms (outbound), Immigrations, baggage claim (inbound), Customs, greeters’ lobby, ground transportation, 20 check-in counters and a passenger drop-off zone.
The concourse on the second floor will also house departure lounges with ‘B’ loading bridges and sterile corridors.
Works will also see a new, larger car park, a reconfigured internal roads area, and a bigger handling equipment area.
The project will also see significant land-filling near the runway area to make it longer.
According to the contract, and in justification of the project, the Guyana government said it has identified tourism as a priority in the country’s economic development plan and “recognizes that improvement of CJIA is of paramount importance in order to promote a sustainable tourism industry.”
Not capable
“The existing airport terminal building is not currently capable of meeting peak traffic demand or of expanding to meet the desired growth in passenger volume. It also cannot accommodate state-of-the-art terminal systems for passenger comforts, convenience and efficiency. The one storey buildings cannot accommodate aircraft boarding bridges forcing passengers to walk to and from the aircraft along the apron.
The ability to generate revenue from concessions, airline office space and ticket counter usage is also limited. Expansion capabilities of the existing terminal are compromised due to current terminal configurations.”
With the realization of the project, government is hoping to lower airport operating costs -passenger and cargo; for increased passenger comfort, convenience and efficiency and increased airport efficiencies through more efficient terminal and airfield design as well as state-of-the-art technologies in security screening, communications, baggage handling and other systems, the contract explained.
The CJIA contract was one of three controversial Government projects released to the media last week after months of questions. It was only after the Alliance For Change (AFC) requested information on the projects in the National Assembly that the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) released the documents.
The other two projects were the controversial Amaila Falls Hydro-Electric Road Project which was awarded to Synergy Holdings Inc. under questionable circumstances and the Marriott Hotel that government is planning to build in Kingston.
Regarding the latter, there are questions over the identity of the owners and how much money Guyana has committed to a project that has raised eyebrows over its feasibility. The Amaila Falls roads project, which was initially heavily defended by government, was taken away in January after Synergy Holdings fell behind on the works.
That contract was marred by delays and mishaps and the matter is now engaging the courts with government already seizing a number of equipment. There had been many questions about the experience of Synergy in road building but government had insisted that the company was capable, although no evidence to this could be found.
Questions
Questions had been asked by this newspaper and other media houses on the well-intentioned projects especially with regards to the costs and whether Guyana is getting value for its money.
During the release of the three contracts last week at the Office of the President, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, insisted that his government “is responsive, open, transparent and has nothing to hide.”
Dr. Singh denied that the timing of the release of the documents had anything to do with the AFC move to the National Assembly to force the release of the documents.
“We make them available at a time when it is most appropriate to do so. There are times when public availability of certain documentation would be premature and we will not make available documents prematurely,” Singh said at the New Garden Street, Georgetown Presidential Complex.
He said that the opposition has the right to ask questions on any matter of interest to them, and he charged that no question asked over the last five years was left unanswered.
Dr Singh quipped that the release of the documents was just a matter of the government continuing its “distinguished tradition” of openness.
However, when asked Friday for digital copies of the contract so that Kaieteur News could publish some of the drawings, Dr. Singh was not so forthcoming and wondered whether the newspaper wanted easy work which would entail “copying and pasting.”
On Wednesday, he said that the documents released could not have been provided earlier because of confidentiality agreements.
“There are several significant confidential obligations, because we are speaking with a large investor and you are speaking to large financial institutions and you’re still in the process of negotiations.”
The CJIA contract was reportedly signed in Jamaica but was never announced in Guyana until newspapers from that country broke the story. The Guyana Government later admitted it had signed the deal.
It also ordered officials of CHEC in Jamaica not to speak to the press on that CJIA project.

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