Per Eklund

micevan1l6

On the occasion of the Ogle International Airport being certified as a Regional Class Airport, Chairman of the Board, Michael Correia, on Tuesday evening last, said that there have been many great minds behind the project.These persons were yesterday awarded with plaques of appreciation. They included late Former President, Mrs. Janet Jagan; Former Secretary General of CARICOM, Edwin Carrington; Per Eklund, and Former Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Anthony Xavier.Correia explained that the idea of an expansion of Ogle Airport goes back at least 30 years, spanning over several political administrations.Former Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Anthony Xavier shortly after accepting his plaque.“The critical political decision, however, to place this fundamental aspect of the country’s Air Transport Reform Programme in the hands of the private sector, was taken by the late President Janet Jagan’s administration,” Correia said.He added that Guyana Airways Corporation, after costing the treasury billions of dollars in losses, was sold in 1999 to the Aviation Investment Incorporated which was at the time being chaired by Yesu Persaud. The privately owned GA 2000 was then born.But sadly, like many other airlines, this too failed, due mainly to the “predatory” pricing practices of the major Caribbean carrier, and the absence of a common regulatory framework in South America.Correia went on to note that the main concern facing the Jagan administration, however, was the difficult challenge of providing safe and sustainable domestic air services to meet a growing hinterland demand at a reasonable cost.He said that this challenge was effectively met by the member companies of the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG).When the Ogle Airport was faced with the closure for failure to meet the necessary requirements, the AOAG members, he said, again rose to the occasion, and accepted the challenge of managing and developing the Ogle Airport which is today, able to accommodate Regional flights.