GEORGETOWN: Talks are currently ongoing between management of the Ogle International Airport (OIA) and the Small Aircraft Operators to address prevalent issues which have recently been highlighted in the media.
Guyana Times understands that on Monday Michael Correia of the Correia Group of Companies, which is in charge of operations at the airport, met with some of the disgruntled operators to discuss problems and issues affecting them.
When a visit was made to the airport on Monday seeking clarity from management of Oagle Airport Inc (OAI) on the issues highlighted by the Small Operators, this newspaper was told Correia will meet with the media at a later date to address the issue.
In a letter to various sections of the media, the Small Aircraft Operators recently complained that there was an “eruption of an unbearable discontent which is rife at the airport.”
It was reported that according to six small operators, there is myriad of serious and ‘vexing’ issues which they have to face on a daily basis with the OAI, the company which runs the Airport.
“Ogle Airport, while improving its regulatory compliance and infrastructure in the past decade, is in fact an anti-competitive and oppressive business environment. The establishment of an aviation operation requires large amounts of capital and the operating environment definitely contributes to the success or failure of the enterprise,” the operators had said in their letter.
According to those affected, the Airport has refused to allow cargo transport operations to use the main terminal, although foreign operators, including LIAT, are allowed to do so.
The small operators said they have been ordered to use the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for their cargo operations. This, they said, would add to their operational costs.
They further claimed that management is consistently reluctant to respond to their needs in a “timely manner; gives them no voice on issues affecting them, imposes staff on them with authoritative and confrontational attitudes”, often threatening, shouting, and demanding; is sub-leasing land for facility development at prohibitive rates; is charging astronomically high fees for airport usage, and has introduced a “toxic and draconian operators’ agreement which demands that we sign over liens on all of our property including our aircraft, among other odious provisions”.
The operators said given the issues were serious, one could imagine how difficult the operating environment was when compounded with anti-competition measures by Ogle Airport Inc’s management, led by the Correia Group.
Dispute
In 2011, Air Services Limited (ASL) had called for a Commission of Inquiry into the Ogle Airport after it accused the OAI of running a “monopolistic” family affair.
Again in 2013, management and ASL clashed in a bitter dispute over the requirements for the start-up of the carrier’s US$1 million fuel farm. In that instance, ASL had accused OAI of deliberately creating conditions to ensure its fuel would not be cheaper and it would be forced to continue buying fuel stored at a fuel farm operated by Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS).
Ogle International Airport is owned by the Government but is run by the private company, Ogle Airport Inc, which exerts total control over the facility greater than that of the private partner in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Media reporters were told the facility is a public utility which is managed and controlled by the Private Sector.
The operational arrangement was negotiated after the initial five investors who formed the corporation, Ogle Airport Inc, made a proposal to operate the Airport following safety concerns which were raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Ogle Airport is the base of operations for several local aircraft operators including: Trans Guyana Airways; ASL; Roraima Airways Ltd; Oxford Aviation; Hinterland Aviation, Domestic Aviation, Phoenix Aviation, Hopkinson Aviation, Wings Aviation and JAGS Aviation (BK).
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