Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation Ramesh Ghir has announced that the airport collected $1.094 billion in revenue last year, almost 50% higher than 2011. During a press briefing hosted by the Works Ministry last Friday, Ghir said 2012’s earnings were up from the $748 million collected in 2011, representing a 46% increase in income. He credited it to additional rental/concession fees and passenger service charges imposed by the airport.
At the same time, the airport’s expenditure went up by almost $100M last year, moving to $462 million from $365 million in 2011, he reported.
Ghir said too that 2012 also saw a 13% increase in passenger arrivals, while noting that immigration would have processed 267,652 passengers for the year 2012 as compared to 236,344 in 2011. Overall passenger movement for 2012, he said, amounted to 543,435, or 15% more than what was seen in 2011.
As it relates to cargo, Ghir said figures showed that for 2012, 2,233 tonnes of cargo were imported, a 33% decrease relative to 2011, while 1,845 tonnes were exported, representing a 13% decrease. It should be noted that these developments come in the wake of 16% and 40% increases in imported and exported cargo in 2011 relative to 2010.
Ghir also commented on the airport’s US$150 million expansion project, which is being funded by the Government of China. Ghir noted that some work has already been conducted on the preliminary designs, but said construction, expected to last approximately 32 months, is not slated to begin until the second quarter of this year.
