Modified “brand new” int’l airport has no space for car rentals, food court, bar, etc.

May 07, 2019 News

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For many countries, shopping and the total experience at the main airports have become an art.

There are specialists who offer consultations about design layouts, lighting and the total travelers’ experience.
There is a simple reason for this. A quiet spot to grab some coffee, have a drink or use a laptop, is becoming a big issue. It translates into spending. Nobody wants to waste time at the airports and everyone is willing to spend a few bucks for that comfort.
For example, at the JFK airport in New York, there are several shops for clothing, liquor, colognes, cigars, trinkets, books, coffee and snack areas.
In Trinidad, the Port of Spain airport offers money exchange services, a bar for a few cocktails and even phone services. Outside the famous mouth-watering doubles can be found.
Of course there are the normal duty fee concession shops for liquor.
It is what is also being offered in Barbados, Jamaica and other Caribbean territories.

They are all standard at modern airports.
Airports are garnering a significant part of their revenues from granting concessions within its confines. They are not depending only on the number of aircrafts landings or the fees from the airlines operating.
For example, the Changi airport, Singapore, offers shopping and dining spaces in a big way.
They offer two main areas – airside and landside. Airside refers to the area past immigration clearance and is accessible to all travellers and transit passengers.
Landside, on the other hand, are areas before immigration clearance and are accessible to travellers, transit passengers with relevant visa requirements, and all members of the public. In other words, even members of the public are being targeted for business.
In Guyana, however, it appears that using concession spaces at the airport as a major means of earning revenues was not a big consideration.
In fact, there are only a few spaces for duty free shops in the arrivals’ terminal area…about four or five.
In the outgoing area, the duty free shops, prior to the renovations of the old terminal, were Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers Limited and King’s Jewellery World.
There was a little coffee place in the seating area for outgoing passengers.
The airport has been drastically modified now by the new government which said recently that it came and met several problems, including the contractor being overpaid.
State auditors have announced a major probe to determine how the US$150M was spent.
The criticisms are that for US$150M, Guyana should have had one of the best airports in the region- something to be envied.
What Guyana is getting, however, is a far cry.
The scandal- that is what it has turned into- has now involved three different administrations, including the Coalition Government.
Nobody is taking blame for Guyana getting less than what it is paying for.
Both the Government and the Opposition, are pointing fingers at each other.
In 2011, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), a Chinese contractor, signed an agreement with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government. There were no studies and it appears little thought about the layout and changing the concept to create an ambience of what modern airports should look like.
In addition to no studies and inflated cost on almost every item, there were no procurement procedures followed- CHEC presented a proposal and it was accepted.
According to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, the previous government made a number of serious missteps with the project.
When it came into government, the Coalition said it found that CHEC had claimed for US$90M of the US$150M with only seven percent of the work done.
The project has been dragging on now for almost a decade when it should have been completed in 32 months.
CHEC appears to be protected with little evidence of any sanctions.
The project has passed one deadline after the next with no announcements of a handover..
Instead of the brand new terminal building to house the arrivals and departure and with eight passenger boarding bridges, there is a small arrivals structure and old terminal has been gutted.
There will only be four passenger bridges.
CJIA nor the Ministry of Public Infrastructure have released the modified designs, despite being asked.
The Opposition has insisted that Government cannot alter a fix-price contract which was specific in its details of what Guyana wanted.
According to government officials, there would be questions also as to exactly where CJIA would be placing concessions like car rentals and offer things like food court.
“It is becoming clearer that this project has really been messed up and someone should be jailed for it.”
It was explained that with oil coming, several new airlines have started flying and others wants to come.
“People are coming to the airport and they want an experience. The airport and the people that matter instead of looking at ways to increase revenues, decided to increase ticket prices with the introduction of new fees,” a CJIA employee said yesterday.
He should know.
American Airlines has increased the number of Miami flights and wants to fly the New York route from December.
“Jet Blue, one of the biggest airlines may come also. We will be back to square one,” the CJIA official said. “We should also be asking where the airport will now locate telephone companies that are offering mobile services. What about a prominently located tourism desk? This is a modernized airport we getting? Man, gimme a break.”

 

 

 

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