Gov’t eyes second airport terminal as arrivals should top one million by 2025

A second terminal could be constructed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at TImehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), in the coming years to accommodate the one million arriving passengers expected.

This is according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali who, on Tuesday night, told businesspeople and officials that travel to Guyana is steadily increasing.

“At the end of this year, we will be getting past our pre-pandemic arrivals… By 2025, with projections, we will be creeping past one million arrivals,” the Head of State said during his address to the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA) annual awards ceremony.

Because of the increased number of people travelling to Guyana, coupled with the entrance of new airlines, the President reasoned that facilities must be expanded to accommodate them.

A new terminal at the CJIA is a strong consideration. An airport terminal is a building within an airport where passengers go to depart on a flight, or the building at which they arrive upon landing

“As I speak to you tonight, we are already contemplating a terminal two because you have to get it.

“Those of you who travel and come in understand what I am talking about, we have to do it to boost what we’re doing here,” Dr. Ali said.

A new terminal is just part of what the President hopes he can address. According to him, the newly-expanded CJIA should have been much better but the previous government “messed up” the project.

Over the past few years, the CJIA expansion project was delayed due to the remodelling and reviewing by the previous APNU+AFC government; the project was previously suspended during the period January 2013 to May 2015, since no budget allocations were approved by Parliament because the APNU and AFC withheld support.

Since taking office in 2020, the PPP/C Administration has invested heavily in the upgrade of the airport, which includes an extension of the runway and the installation of an Instrument Landing System to assist pilots when landing in unfavourable weather conditions.