Amidst controversy, the Ogle International Airport was last evening renamed the Eugene F Correia International Airport and Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson revealed that the concerns raised by those opposed to the renaming are among issues to be addressed by a review of the airport’s operations being undertaken by an independent legal firm.
At the renaming ceremony last evening, President David Granger made it clear that it was he who suggested the name change and that he was never lobbied. He did not, however, address the concerns of those opposed to the renaming but rather focused on Correia’s contributions to the nation.
Chairman of the airport’s Board of Directors and its President Michael O Correia Jnr condemned those who objected, singling out Chairman of the Roraima Airways Captain Gerry Gouveia.
A majority of the operators were against the renaming as they said it would give an unfair advantage to the Correia Group, which is a major player in the company running the airport. A bid in the High Court last week by the National Air Transport Association (NATA), which comprises nine aggrieved airport operators, to have the renaming halted was unsuccessful. The nine operators are Air Services Limited (ASL), Roraima Airways, Hinterland Aviation, Oxford Aviation, Phoenix Airways, Domes-tic Airways, Jags Aviation, Wings Aviation and Hopkinson Mining Aviation.
“Operators who oppose today’s renaming have complained that this act will give an unfair advantage to a specific operator. Their concerns cannot be dismissed as something without merit therefore this will also be addressed during our review process,” Patterson said last evening. He said the concerns raised have not fallen on deaf ears and that the renaming would not “drive the final nail in the coffin” of those who feel that they have become disadvantaged.
But President Granger, who would only say “It is really painful… I wouldn’t go there,” in apparent reference to the contentiousness over the renaming, stated that the late Eugene Correia was very successful in gold and diamond mining and also did quarrying, which resulted in him being very familiar with Guyana’s hinterland. He described him as “insightful” and being a “visionary,” while adding that much of what he said during his professional years is still relevant today. Correia, he said, was a parliamentarian, he was Minister of Communications and later Minister of Works and Hydraulics and was responsible for aviation and triggered the transformation of the sector in Guyana
“…It was, therefore, with confidence that last September, right here at Ogle, I—emphasis on the I—suggested to the Board of Directors that the Ogle International Airport be renamed that Eugine F Correia International Airport. I was not coerced, I was not lobbied… it is was a simple a recognition of the character of the man,” President Granger said, moments before he unveiled the new name with the help of the close relatives of the late Correia.
Granger said he was later informed by the Board of Directors that they agreed with his suggestion and of its decision to apply to the government to have the airport’s name changed. He stated it was “not a dictatorship” but rather “everything was above board.”
Tarnish reputations
And while Patterson urged the operators to put their differences aside, Correia noted that it has become too easy in Guyana to tarnish reputations without recourse to facts, and he said regardless of the truth and once “it is sensational, it’s published and printed in the media.”
He pointed out that the airport has evolved from a GuySuCo-owned sugar crop dusting airstrip to a private international airport, respected as a model throughout the Caribbean. According to him, it is a prime example of private sector participation in national infrastructural development.
He also called out Gouveia, whose company, he said, has recently expanded its building and its fleet of aircraft with a reported investment of US$2.5 million although investment in the airport has been a mere US$83,000 or 2.2% of the total equity of the airport.
Correia said that the airport is managed by two of the most accomplished aviators in Guyana—Anthony Mekdeci, former Director of Civil Aviation and Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, former Chief Pilot of Guyana Airways Corporation—and he questioned why Gouveia is “trying to tear down the good name, and damage the reputation of these national icons, who have helped to make him in his career….”
Speaking of Gouveia’s criticisms as president of the Aircraft Owners Association, Correia said he presided as president during the unparalleled transformation of the domestic aviation industry and during that time he was elected unopposed in every election.
According to Correia, the privatisation of the airport was the subject of public hearings and the Lease Agreement, negotiated by aviation experts hired by the IDB working on behalf of the government, was not a “sweetheart deal” as claimed by Gouveia. He said the Lease Agreement imposes further stringent conditions, which must be met by the private company and the government and to ensure this happens the agreement requires that both parties are subject to oversight by a review panel.
He said the airport had publicly called for the previous administration and now the present one to establish the panel as it is believed that such a body will vindicate the operations at the airport of being not merely compliant but importantly unbiased and professional.
Correia said while there is obvious division in the aviation sector, the root cause is the lack of respect and adherence to the rule of law.
“The legitimate aviator is placed in an unfair and unacceptable position when faced with unsafe and unfair competitive practices, like the overloading of aircraft, and transporting of illegal fuel, allowed to come across the border from Venezuela. This practice costs the state billions of dollars and inevitably erodes legitimate businesses,” Correia claimed.
Review
Meanwhile, highlighting the review of the airport’s operations, Patterson said that the government is focusing on the lease of the facility to the Ogle Airport Inc (OAI). “…I give my firm assurance that this separate exercise will be done transparently and the renaming of the airport will not affect the outcome or direction of the government in this matter,” the minister said.
He said the government has long recognised the importance of supporting domestic operations, which account for about 85% of aviation traffic in Guyana, hence the reason behind the review. And while the minister acknowledged that OAI is a private company, he pointed out that it manages a government asset and therefore “its management would be dealt with in an equitable manner and this a commitment that I give on behalf of the Government of Guyana.
“Whether it is through the re-design of the company’s website or the construction of a shorter taxiway for the majority of the operators, we will work with all stakeholders to ensure that a satisfactory consensus is reached.”
On another front, he said the administration is committed to drastically reducing the incidences of air accidents, while adding that when it comes to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the regional average is above 70%, while Guyana currently stands at 44% compliance. It is government’s goal to move Guyana to 60% compliance shortly. Further, to bolster domestic operations, works have already begun to improve oversight capabilities and additional personnel have expanded several units.
“Government is also focusing on the upgrade of the country’s navigation service through the implementation of the aeronautical surveillance service using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast,” the minister said.
Patterson said the administration is also committed to the upgrade of the country’s hinterland airstrips and infrastructure and is currently pursuing an airstrips and aerodromes development programme. The programme has already seen officials from the ministry, including Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson, visiting the airstrips in a bid to improve their capabilities. The minister also revealed that there will be a review of Guyana’s aviation laws, while adding that government promises that with greater involvement it can aid in the standardisation of operation procedures to ensure equal opportunities are available to all involved, while negating “anti-competitiveness in the industry.”
