Govt. defends CJIA runway extension…Current one unable to support bigger planes at maximum weight

Sep 10, 2014 News

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has defended the need to lengthen its primary runway by another 3,000 feet, yesterday saying that the current one is unable to accommodate the larger Boeing 747-400 aircraft at maximum take-off weight.
According to the Ministry of Public Works, several factors determine the runway length required for take-off.
“Among these are the aircraft weight, prevailing winds, air temperature, runway elevation and air density. For a fixed runway length, a combination of these factors determines the gross weight an aircraft can take off with. This gross weight, which consists of the aircraft, passengers and fuel, correlates with how many passengers and their baggage can be taken aboard the flight and the distance they can be flown.”
The response by the Ministry followed questions asked in a report carried by Kaieteur News on Sunday, which asked about the need to extend the runway by 3,000 feet.

Ongoing works to extend the primary runway at CJIA, Timehri.

Comparisons were drawn to the Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten, in the Eastern Caribbean, where large planes that cannot land here at CJIA do so there.
The airport in St. Maarten has its current main runway at 7,546 feet. CJIA’s runway is 7,447, or about 99 feet shorter than that of St. Maarten. The bigger planes have been landing at that Dutch airport, deemed one of the more risky, because of its closeness to the mountains and nearby sea.
According to the Ministry, it is a “notable fact” that St. Maarten is closer to Europe than CJIA, thus, aircraft would generally require less fuel and less runway length.
“Therefore, for one to compare the two airports and the types of aircraft they accommodate without taking into consideration the relevant technical factors mentioned above, is a clear indication of not fully understanding or not wanting to understand the subject area – given the lack of consultation with CJIA or Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).”
Extending CJIA’s existing runway from 7,546 feet to 10,500 feet will ensure large aircraft such as Boeing 747-400 and 777 operate at their maximum take off weights thus increasing the operational efficiency of the airline, the Ministry said.
The current runway at CJIA will not stop bigger aircraft like the 747-400 or 777 from landing. However, it will mean that the aircraft will have to carry less fuel and passengers.
“There will be no restrictions on payload or flight range. At the moment, taking off on CJIA’s much shorter runway dictates that an aircraft takes fewer passengers or less fuel; this is uneconomical for the carrier.”
CJIA, through the Ministry of Public Works, has partnered with the renowned aviation firm “ROUTES” of the United Kingdom, to court larger airlines to ply the Georgetown route, and a compelling issue in negotiations is the runway’s length.
“At least three top European airlines have indicated an interest in Guyana as a destination, but the existing runway length, based on their fleet asset specifications, is an initial limitation to how they proceed.”
According to the Ministry, the airport expansion project, which has come in for criticisms, when completed, will put Guyana in its rightful place in the sphere of aviation competitiveness.
“The CJIA Expansion Project would also ensure an increase in direct and indirect jobs in the sector and will assist in making an increased positive contribution to Guyana’s economy.”
The US$150M Chinese-funded project will not only include the longer runway but a brand new terminal building, complete with eight passenger gates. However, the project has been under fire, with the Opposition wanting justification of some of the spending. Earlier this year, some $6.5B set aside for the project in the National Budget was not approved by the National Assembly.
However, the project is continuing, with the Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), currently working on the runway extension.
Government is looking for the new airport to be an attractive prospect for markets in Africa and Asia.

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