Ogle Airport receives regional certification – LIAT makes inaugural landing

By Samuel Sukhnandan

The Ogle International Airport (OAI) was on Tuesday declared a regional hub, as it was presented with a runway Class Two C certificate on Tuesday by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). LIAT Airline also made its inaugural landing at the OAI at 15: 00h and plans to begin operations out of that airport by midyear.

This comes at a time when Guyana is observing its centenary in the aviation sector.
President Donald Ramotar, in delivering the feature address at the ceremony, said the aviation sector has made significant contributions to the development of the economy. Ramotar said the air transport sector, particularly the OAI, has helped to open up Guyana’s interior, allowing access to the public sector and creating investment opportunities for private companies.
The head of state underscored the importance of aviation in Guyana, stating that it has additional importance to the economy based on the nature and geographical location of communities across the country. Ramotar added that aviation has also served to encourage growth of the agriculture sector and has a major role to play in its expansion.
He urged the OAI management to look at providing linkages with Africa and South America.
OAI Chairman Michael Correia Jr provided a brief history of the airport, noting that it was his grandfather and great uncle MC and Eugene Correia who pioneered the opening up of Guyana’s interior in the 1920s, at the beginning of the airport’s operation. Correia Jr explained that the idea of expanding the airport goes back more than 30 years ago.
LIAT Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Captain Ian Brunton congratulated the airport on the milestone.
Brunton told the gathering that an in-flight Guyana Airport Preferences Survey, conducted by LIAT, has found that the airport would be more convenient to the majority of customers polled.
“A total of 625 persons completed the survey of which 62.24 per cent chose Ogle, while 37.76 per cent chose Cheddi Jagan International,” the LIAT CEO explained.
The majority of respondents, 84 per cent, were not residents of Guyana. Brunton said LIAT hopes to start operating out of the OAI by midyear using GPS, but other requirements, such as certification, must be met.
“One critical component is the VOR/ DME, which is an important navigational aid. We have been advised by the management of Ogle that this will be in place by the end of this year,” Captain Brunton said.
He also revealed that it was in 2010 that the OAI management shared its plans to extend the runway to accommodate ATR series and Dash 8 series class of aircraft, noting that LIAT’s executive management immediately agreed to review the possibility of beginning service to Ogle as an alternative to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
He said it was determined that OAI’s closer proximity to Georgetown would give the airline a competitive advantage, since flying into Ogle would mean reduced flying time and an annual fuel reduction for LIAT.
In 2012, LIAT operated approximately 667 flights through Guyana while 804 flights were operated in 2011.
In his remarks, Private Sector Commission (PSC) President Ronald Webster dubbed the expansion of the airport as a true public and private partnership which has borne good fruit to be reaped in the near future.
During the ceremony, a posthumous award was given to former President Janet Jagan, former Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington, former European Union Ambassador Per Eklund and former Transport Minister Anthony Xavier, for their contributions towards the establishment of the airport.
The ceremony was attended by several high-level officials, including members of the diplomatic corps, the private sector, directors of the management team at OAI, and members of the aviation sector.