OAI’s 10% increase causes conflict with stakeholder

Jul 28, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – It might just be that a conflict has arisen between Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI) and Air Services Limited (ASL) following a 10% increase on the Eugene F. Correia International Airport’s Land Lease.

OAI Public Relations Consultant, Kit Nascimento.

ASL is a stakeholder of the international airport located at Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), and is sub-leasing a section of the State’s property from OAI. OAI recently decided to increase the rate of its sub-lease to the aviation company by 10%, which caused a conflict with ASL.
The Managing Director of ASL, Capt. A. Mazahar Ally, had penned a letter which was published in Kaieteur News on Sunday July 25, 2021. Ally highlighted several concerns in relation to the increase.
Ally began his letter by stating, “Though Ogle Airport Inc.’s (OAI) Public Relations would toss aside serious matters raised by stakeholders as a mere storm in a teapot in its quest to pull a veil over the government’s eyes, nothing can be further from the truth.”
In his letter, Ally noted, inter alia, that three years subsequent to the Airport’s Lease renewal, OAI has now unlawfully increased its sub-lease fees by 10%. He went on to state that OAI is masking the increase as a GL&SC fees increase.
Yesterday, OAI responded to ASL concerns with a letter penned by its Public Relations Consultant, Kit Nascimento.

Managing Director of ASL, Capt. A. Mazahar Ally.

In response Nascimento called Ally’s letter “a rambling and incoherent complaint” to the media. The airport’s PR consultant further noted that, with directives of the GL&SC, from the previous and current governments, the OAI informed the lessees that all new sub-lease fees will attract an additional 10% charge to the GL&SC, which will be reflected in their new lease rates.
According to Nascimento’s response, given the fact that the airport now has a new lease, all sub-leases are required to be informed accordingly. He then noted that he found it surprising that Capt. Ally is unhappy with the new and extended lease since, as a lessee, his company is a direct beneficiary, vastly increasing the value of their investments in the airport.
It was then noted that the Air Services Limited retained the option of not extending their original lease.
Earlier this year, Nascimento had responded to a letter written by Capt. Ally. That letter was in relation to his access to the Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting of the Company.