CJIA control tower to be relocated as airline traffic outgrows existing layout – INews Guyana

The air traffic control tower at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) will be relocated to the opposite side of the airfield to free up parking space for aircraft.

This is a direct result of the airport’s rapid growth since 2020.

Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, confirmed the move on Wednesday at the media launch of the 3rd International Civil Aviation Organisation/European Union Aviation Safety Agency Global Regional Safety Oversight Organisation (RSOO) and Regional Accident and Incident Investigation Organisation Forum (RAIO) for Aviation Safety.

He told reporters that the tower’s current position limits how far the apron can be expanded.

With aircraft numbers surging, the airport has reached a point where incoming planes sometimes have to hold while others clear the parking area.

“We have no place to park planes anymore,” Minister Indar said, explaining that, “We have to move it and expand the airport further so that we can have parking areas for more planes.”

For context, in 2020, four airlines operated out of Cheddi Jagan: Copa, Caribbean Airlines, American, and Suriname Airways. That figure now stands at 16, with more expected.

“So we have to get more space for the airplanes to park on the airport,” he said.

The tower relocation is one piece of a larger overhaul. Construction on the second terminal has already begun and is expected to accelerate in the coming months. Plans are also in place for an inline baggage system, additional scanners and cameras, and off-site check-in, which are aimed at ensuring the airport makes a strong first and last impression on visitors.

Beyond Georgetown, two new airports are being developed, one in Region Six, built to a 3C ICAO standard, and one in Region Nine, near Lethem, a 4E standard facility to support logistics, trade, and tourism in the country’s interior.

Of the roughly 55 active airstrips across Guyana, between 14 and 15 have already been rehabilitated, with 34 more out to tender.

Meanwhile, Cheddi Jagan was recently ranked first for passenger experience across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean region in an independent Airport Council International survey. [DPI]

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