Latest update March 23rd, 2025 9:41 AM
Latest News
- ExxonMobil dodges question on whether operations can lead to cancer, other diseases
- Govt., and Opposition MPs a no-show at Exxon’s public meetings on 8th project
- Trump revokes legal status for 530,000 immigrants in the US
- Over 200 affected after fire destroys section of Critchlow Labour College
- Govt. issues order to acquire more land for Gas-to-Energy project
Ogle Airport Inc., NATA still consulting on alleged market dominance – GCAA Head
By Murtland Haley
With the renaming of the Ogle International Airport to the ‘Eugene F. Correia International Airport’, the National Air Transport Association (NATA) had raised concerns that there might be market dominance by one group.
Parties are still in talks over claims of market dominance at the Eugene F. Correia Intl. Airport
As a result, the parties involved, specifically Ogle Airport Inc. and NATA had begun discussions over the matter.
On Thursday, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Col. Egbert Field, during a press conference, was asked to give the media an update on the talks.
Field said that he is aware that the parties, Ogle Airport Inc. and NATA, are working together, along with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
Asked how close the entities are to arriving at a resolution, Field indicated that they are having very fruitful discussions, which he believes will eventually end with both sides being satisfied with the outcome.
The GCAA Director also said that the main contention is the talk of ‘dominance’. However, he explained that that particular issue should not be considered as a ‘sticking point,’ nor are there any other issues which can be considered as preventing a positive outcome.
“They are talking and they are coming to a common ground, but I don’t think there are any sticking points – where one side is saying ‘I’m holding out unless…’, but they are discussing.”
Back in May 2016, President of NATA, Annette Arjoon-Martins had said that the Ogle airport was incorporated in 2000 with five shareholders each owning 20 per cent of the shares; these shareholders were all aircraft operators and functioned as directors of the company.
However, she said that 15 years later, the Correia Group of Companies owns 67 per cent of the shares in the company which led to the Ogle Airport Inc. becoming a member of the Correia Group of Companies. Arjoon-Martins had explained that five of the seven directors in the company are either related to the Correia family or are associates of the Correia group.
“It was never the intention of the five founding shareholders/directors that one of the aircraft operators should ever control the airport. It was also never the intention of the Government of Guyana when they signed the lease agreement with OAI in 2000, that one single operator would control the airport in 2016.”
Head of the Correia Group, Michael Correia, had said that when money was needed to develop the airport, none of the other shareholders had come forward, except Air Services Limited.
When President David Granger had encouraged the directors of Ogle Airport Inc. to rename the airport, NATA wrote to Correia expressing non-support of the move.
According to Arjoon-Martins, this was due to the collective experience by members of the association of abuse, dominance and oppression by the Correia Group and Ogle Airport Inc.
“The Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission, with whom an anti-competitive complaint had been filed in 2013, had to confirm the existence of abuse and dominance before accepting the complaint, which it did.”
The Private Sector Commission had also voiced its non-support of the move to rename the airport. In a statement, the Commission said, “The renaming of the airport in favour of a former public official of the same name as that of the Chairman of the Ogle Airport Inc., will add to the already filled vessel of complaints regarding anti-competitive behaviour of the Board of Ogle Airport Inc.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Teen arrested over uncle’s murder after sharing burial plan with relative
Kaieteur News- A teenager of Tabatinga, Lethem, Central Rupununi, Region Nine was arrested for murder on Friday after he... more
The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?
By Sir Ronald Sanders For decades, many Caribbean nations have grappled with dependence on a small number of powerful countries... more
Weekend Cartoon
