Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Expansion of Ogle airport runway completed
– Facility to be commissioned today
A major project to lengthen the runway at Ogle Airport to allow regional flights and bring it to regional standards, and which will allow for the landing of ATR and Dash 8 series class of aircraft has been completed.
The European Union, through a CARICOM facility, and with support of the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana and the Government of Guyana, had provided funding of 1.5M Euros for the Phase II project of the airport to lengthen it by a further 2,200 feet and widening it by 40 feet.
The extended runway at Ogle will be commissioned today
Work commenced on the runway project in 2009 by BK International and was completed and approved last month, after a number of delays.
Today, the airport is set to commission the runway which it says is part of a bigger plan to improve that facility to make it a regional flight hub.
According to the airport, President Donald Ramotar is expected to commission the runway with presentations to be made also by Ambassador Robert Kopecky, Head of the Delegation to the European Commission; Irwin La Rocque, Secretary General of CARICOM and Chairman of the Board of Ogle Airport, Michael Correia Jr.
The new runway expansion will bring Ogle Airport, located about six miles from the city along the East Coast of Demerara, up to a Class II C certification standard, accommodating the ATR Series and Dash 8 Series class of aircraft.
Work is also being done to bring the airport’s terminal and parking facilities up to par.
“Construction is well advanced to also expand the airport’s terminal facilities, aircraft taxiways, parking areas and safety areas and the installation of runway light to accommodate nighttime operations,” the airport disclosed yesterday.
Ogle has been in continuous operation for nearly 60 years, but currently operates a daylight-only, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) airport with no lighting or radio navigational aids.
DOMESTIC HUB
Over the years, Ogle has developed into the main domestic hub, providing commercial passenger and cargo air transport services, primarily between Georgetown and the hinterland. The airfield is still used by Guyana Sugar Corporation for crop dusting operations along its canefields.
According to the airport, today there are more than 10 operators maintaining a fleet of over 40 aircraft there, representing an investment of about $5 billion in fixed assets, aircraft and equipment.
The airport yesterday explained that the EU through a CARICOM facility and with the assistance of the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana, provided through the Government of Guyana, funding in the amount of Euro 1.5 million, for the Phase II runway project.
Now that the Phase II runway is complete, Ogle Airport Incorporated (OAI) will have to spend an additional $400 million to bring the airport to certification. Additional works, including terminal enhancements, parking aprons, taxiways, fencing, drainage and safety equipment are to be financed by OAI.
Ogle Airport is said to be doing approximately 100 flights per day moving over 200 passengers and 15 tonnes of cargo. It is projected that traffic in the next two to three years will move to 125 flights per day, and an increase by 100 in passengers. Daily cargo movements are also expected to rise by three tonnes. However, the airport said yesterday that there will still be a number of constraints that will have to be addressed by government, including radio navigational aids and the relocation of Crown Dam residents who are within the obstacle clearance limits for the runway.
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