EXTENDED AIRPORT RUNWAY A BETTER OPTION

By Moses Nagamootoo and Sasenarine Singh

We have read the typically adamant but ill-tempered declaration by the Minister of Works that the PPP/C Government will proceed with the new billion-dollar airport at Timehri, regardless. This is most unfortunate, since the Alliance For Change (AFC) is only responsible to the national needs and priority, and will remain flexible and rational, but only in service to the people of Guyana, not any Minister with any anti-national agenda.
By using our scissors on further massive, loan funds for a new airport, we have made it clear that the AFC would not support the project in its current form.
Guyana is fundamentally dependent upon air transportation and in order to get economies of scale from larger aircraft – not to mention, lower air fare – the extension of the Timehri runway from 7,500 ft to 11,000 ft, would have been a viable project to which the AFC can easily support since it is in service to the people of Guyana.  But do we need this new terminal building?

WASTE OF RESOURCES
Breaking down the renovated airport for a new one is a scandalous waste of resources. Though our objection to the new airport initially was based on lack of economic justification for the project and the risk of adding some $30 Billion to our estimated $380 Billion in debt, we also have tremendous challenges with the actual bills of quantity, now that it has been finally shared with us.
It is clear that Government cannot justify a new terminal with eight covered gates since the revenue from the airport cannot reasonable payback the debt.  On whose shoulder will the debt burden fall – the people again?
It was estimated that $12 Billion was to be spent on the new terminal building. For a start, that project would destroy the livelihood of the small businesses in the Timehri area, as these small business people are displaced. They would be replaced by the new cronies, who are closely aligned to the ruling elite. Is this “development with a human face”?

ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION
The feasibility study and contract documents show no clear economic justification why we should spend $12 Billion to knock down the current terminal. The solution to problems in the air transport sector is not bigger terminal buildings, but better equipped airstrips and air terminals to satisfy all the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
We challenge the Government to show us that the ICAO regulations demand a bigger terminal with sterile loading gates. This is another hoax by the post-Jagan PPP to load more debt on our backs. Such a debt undertaking cannot be classified as a human development, as government would have to fleece the hides of taxpayers to service and repay these growing debt obligations. The AFC will have none of this.
Further to this extension of the runway, we call on the government to seriously interrogate the $7.5 billion quoted to construct a new Fire Pump Station, a new domestic Waste Water Processing Station, new Generator Room, a modern power supply system, a modern water supply and fire extinguishing systems, an advanced sewage treatment plant and a new fuel farm. Whatever happened to the private investor fuel farm project proposed by Travelspan?

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The National Development Strategy (NDS) recommended (a) the creation of autonomous agencies to guide the sector; (b) the privatization of portions of the sector where possible; (c) adoption of an open skies policy and freedom of entry to general aviation companies; (d) the upgrading of the system in areas such as air traffic control, search and rescue, and control centres in the interior; (e) upgrading of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) airplane movement area (runway), and upgrading of the CJIA (then called Timehri). The latter was concluded a decade ago by a contractor named Kishan Bacchus.
NDS experts had cited a cost of G$400 million for these expansion works. So, clearly what is being proposed by the post-Jagan outfit was not the vision of the thinkers behind the NDS.
The engineering experts we have consulted advised us that after the rehabilitation work by Kishan Bacchus, the CJIA now boasts a bigger arrival and departure lounge that has the basic features to handle annually some 500,000 passengers.   To corroborate this situation, the IDB revealed that in 1996, the CJIA processed 316,506 passengers in the old and much smaller terminal before the expansion project. On January 7, 2013, the CEO of the CJIA reported to the media that in 2012, the immigration authorities processed 267,652 passengers. This is a reduction of over 48,000 passengers over a sixteen-year period. So, clearly airport space is not an issue!
The IDB reported that air cargo in 1996 was 3,752 tons, facilitated mainly by Amerijet and Laparkan. These companies are still there, but the CEO of the CJIA reported that in 2012, the airport processed 2,233 tons of air cargo, representing a 40 per cent decline. Our airport businesses have contracted, so how do we justify building a new airport?

NATIONAL CARRIER
We cannot, so for now the AFC will:-
1. Support the extension of the runway and apron at CJIA and the rationalized ancillary external works as outlined above, such as the fuel farm and fire Pump Station, new Generator Room, a modern power supply system, a modern water supply etc.
2. Continue to support the work by members of the Aircraft Owners Association in relation to upgrades of the Ogle Airport.
3. Support the upgrading of all 56 airstrips in Guyana under the control of the Civil Aviation Authority. The PPP foolishly wanted the entire programme head to be severed for propaganda reasons, but we are ready to restore funds to upgraded hinterland airstrips. We also support a programme for inspection, improvement and further certification of hinterland aerodromes.  As soon as the Minister brings the supplemental budget to fund these upgrades of the hinterland airstrips, the AFC is ready to support these projects.
4. Support re-introduction of a joint venture low cost national carrier, firstly to service the Guyana/Trinidad/Caribbean destination and to transit for international connections.
Ogle today is a fine example of private sector ingenuity and AFC knows that a national carrier will not be beyond the reach of our airline pioneers, which tells us: Yes! We can do it!
So, even in anticipation of our own national carrier, we believe that money spent on an extended runway would be efficient use of resources. Having prestigious show-pieces like a new airport with million-dollar toilet bowls and urinals, and a new hotel/casino reveals a lack of vision and financial adventurism.