Renovate US$150M-plus airport has no in-transit area

Jun 23, 2019 News

In 2011, the then Government of Guyana agreed for a Chinese company to expand its main airport, located at Timehri.

The US$150M renovated CJIA is missing an in-transit area, a major component that would allowed the airport to become a hub.

As part of the justification for the project, which included a brand new terminal building and longer runway, the government under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) made it clear that it is the intention to make Guyana a hub in the region.
According to then Minister of Public Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, the idea was to tap into flights from Africa.
“We want to develop a hub, not only a regional hub for South America and the Caribbean, but also for Trans-Atlantic flights from Southern Africa and other parts

Minister of Public Instrastructure, David Patterson

going out to the East,” Benn was reported as saying.
He also explained that there are a large number of flights from Latin America flying over Guyana’s territory and the implementation of the expansion presents an opportunity for them to land here and transfer passengers.
“So there’s a big opportunity we’re foregoing if we don’t do this project,” the Minister had emphasised.
Back in 2013, it was said that on an annual basis, an average 4,000 international flights and 600,000 passengers arrive at the CJIA. These numbers are expected to double in the near future and by the year 2030, triple.
Fast-forward to 2019, the project remains incomplete, passing its deadline by more than three years.
A key component for becoming a hub, in keeping with modern airports, would have been the presence of an in-transit area for passengers.
Currently, the airport has no special holding area for in-transit passengers.

Former Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn

Rather, passengers have to exit the plane and be rescreened with others who are departing Guyana.
It would be a major problem in later days if there is a dramatic increase in the number of flights and passengers, as is widely projected.
The in-transit area would have represented a key part of the modern airport to improve passenger flow and reduce congestion.
It was critical to help make the airport more competitive and raise revenues to repay that massive loan from China.
With the airport almost ‘complete’ and ready to be handed over by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the contractor, it appeared that all hopes for Guyana to become a hub has all been abandoned.
Rather, the Coalition Government seemed content with a renovated airport. Instead of a brand-new terminal, the old one has been gutted and refitted. A smaller building has been constructed for the arrivals area. Instead of eight passenger bridges, there are now four.
Recently, it was reported that rains have been flooding parts of the airport.
The contractor was not bound to build a new parking lot and a viewing gallery has been removed from the equation.
The original contract itself had been a major slap in the face of Guyana as it contained prices that were grossly inflated.
Even then, Guyana would have been satisfied to at least receive what it was promised.
Throughout it all, the government has not sanctioned the Chinese contractor, which has faced questions about the quality of its work.
The supervisors, CEMCO and MMM Group from Canada, have been silent.
The contract was never tendered and according to the government, the previous administration did not ensure that critical studies were conducted.
Rather, China had offered the Caribbean funding for a number of projects and Guyana had grabbed onto the opportunity.
It appeared that Guyana was forced to accept CHEC.
The airport scandal has pitted the Government against the Opposition, with the latter insisting that the Coalition erred by deviating from a fixed price contract.

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