Imported cargo increased by 44% – CJIA collected in excess of $1B in revenues  

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIAs), for the third consecutive year, has collected revenues in excess of $1B. The CJIA income for the year 2014 was $1,017B. In 2013, the airport recorded income of $1,077B and $1,120B in 2012.

Presenting the CJIA’s 2014 performance, during the Ministry of Public Works’ press briefing on Friday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir noted that the airport’s income collected in 2014 was almost double that of the last six years. In 2009, the airport collected $599M compared with the $1,017B collected in 2014. The airport collected $633M in 2010 and $748M in 2011.

Ghir said that expenses for 2014 amounted to $678M as compared with the $588M spent for the same period in 2013. He explained that this was mainly due to the increase in staffing during 2014, from 146 to 171, and this pertained to recruitment in the Aviation Security Department.

He said that the international Passenger Arrivals for 2014 was 236,851 or 1 percent higher than the 235,967 in 2013. The total number of passengers flown in 2014 counted 478,092.   

Imported cargo for the period under review amounted to 3,296,000 kg; this represents a 44 percent increase over the previous year, Ghir said. He explained that 25 percent of the cargo was industrial supplies, while 21 percent was personal effects; another 21 percent for hatching eggs and 33 percent consolidated cargo.

Meanwhile, exports amounted to 2,852,000 kg or a 16 percent increase from that of the corresponding period in 2013. According to Ghir, 88 percent of the cargo was agro-industrial products and livestock while 12 percent was consolidated cargo.

International Aircraft Landing was 3,696, and this was lower than what obtained in 2013. Ghir said. He noted however, that Jet Aircraft Landings increased from 2,523 to 2,933, due mainly to the introduction of additional flights from COPA, CONVIASA, FLY Jamaica, INSEL AIR and DYNAMIC Airways.  Turbo Prop and Smaller type aircraft landing reduced due mainly to the reduction in LIAT’s flight. 

According to Ghir, the following training sessions were undertaken to build staff capacity and capability in 2014: Health and Safety Training; Food Handlers Training; Fire Extinguisher Training; Basic Conversational Spanish Training; NIS Seminar; Customer Service training; HIV/AIDs  seminar; and Financial Management for non-financial managers.

Meanwhile focus in safety saw a partial exercise held in December 2014, where the airport tested two components of its ‘communications and response’ equipment from various other agencies, as was directed in the Airport Emergency Plan, Type of Exercise, 7.3, ii, Partial Emergency Exercises.

Further, a massive programme was also undertaken by the CJIA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Works, in the setting up of facilities to administer health care to any passenger with Ebola. The CJIA also donated a number of items to the Port Health personnel at their office, attached to the airport.

An Airside Vehicles Operator’s Permit (AVOP) training programme was also conducted by CJIA Operations Superintendent Manmohan Balram. It focused on a number of important aerodrome techniques that should be adhered to when operating on the aerodrome.

Other training programmes conducted during the period under review was a Driver’s Safety Training and a Refresher Instructor Training which reinforced the basic skills and competencies required by CJIA’s experienced instructors and exposed new personnel to the demands of instruction preparation, delivery and assessment. Other training focused on quality assurance, airport risk mitigation, self defence, airport risk assessment, narcotic recognition and traffic warden.

Ghir noted that focus on Security in 2014, saw  the installation of 51 new cameras within and around the terminal building and Vito De Palma from Naan and Sergio Gonzalez, Manager for the South America Region (On-Net Surveillance System Inc. 
On SSI), conducting a four day software training with selected staff from CJIA and the Criminal Investigation Department. The training was conducted in the recently acquired I.P C.C.T.V room at the airport.

The beginning of the year also saw the Aviation Security Department staff of 56 ranks being increased to 80.

Ghir listed among projects for 2015 as the completion of Emergency Operational Centre (EOC,) conducting a full scale emergency exercise is 2015 to test the Emergency procedures, upgrading of the executive lounge, crack sealing on the surface of Runway 11-29, resurfacing of the airport’s public car park, modifying and upgrading the water system and construction of new pump house, procuring and installing lighted aerodrome signs, the installation of additional perimeter fence lighting and the establishment of a modern training room equipped with computers to be used for internal training/ online training. [Extracted and modified from GINA]