Guyana’s National Airport, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) formerly known as Timerhi Airport is the largest out of the two in the country. It is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timerhi. Timehri is a village located 41 kilometres to the south of the nation’s capital Georgetown. It is the home of CJIA and also home to the South Dakota Circuit where numerous international competitors meet and participate in annual motor racing events.
History
Atkinson Airfield Circa 1940: Source – https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/guyana-review/07/07/atkinson-field-and-world-war-ii/
In 1968, British West Indian Airways(BWIA) was operating as non-stop, that is, no change of plane flight service to New York City via JFK Airport via intermediate stops in Port of Spain and Barbados. Named after Maj. Eric Atkinson who was the first commandant of the air base was the Atkinson Aerodrome. It was the first airport facility established in 1941 (named the Atkinson Aerodrome; after Maj. Eric Atkinson, the first commandant of the air base). The airport was then made commercial in 1945.
Further, additions were made to the airport facilities during the period 1965 and 1968. The Atkinson Aerodrome was then renamed the Timehri International Airport on May 1, 1969. Timehri is a Carib word for rock motifs located in the depths of Guyana’s hinterland and pre-dating the arrival of Europeans in the New World. The design of the airport included murals employing Amerindian motifs done by Guyanese painter Aubrey Williams. In 1971, BWIA was operating daily nonstop service to Port of Spain from the airport with Boeing 707 jetliners. The legal regulations governing the airport were established under Chapter 52:01 of the Laws of Guyana.
By 1973, ALM Antillean Airlines operating Douglas DC-9 jet service on a routing of Paramaribo – Georgetown – Port of Spain – Curacao – Kingston – Miami three times a week, according to the Official Airline Guide (OAG). In the year 1980, Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was serving the airport with daily one stop Boeing 707 jet service to New York JFK Airport. This was done through an intermediate stop in Port of Spain. Guy-America Airways was operating on a direct Boeing 707 jet service between New York JFK Airport and Guyana three days a week during the year 1981.
By the time it was 1983, there were four airlines serving scheduled passengers. These included ALM Antillean Airlines, Arrow Air, British West Indies Airways (BWIA) and Guyana Airways.
BWIA was operating direct McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 jet flights to Port of Spain and locally based Guyana Airways was flying Boeing 707 nonstop service to Barbados, Miami, New York JFK Airport, Paramaribo, Suriname and Port of Spain. There were also local and regional flights operated by Guyana Airways with Hawker Siddeley 748 and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprop aircraft at this time. Prior to this Guyana Airways had operated Boeing 737-200 jet service from the airport in 1981 with nonstop flights to Barbados, Miami, Paramaribo and Port of Spain.
Further in 1989, two airlines were performing direct flights between the airport and New York JFK. That is, Guyana Airways with three Boeing 707 flights a week and Tropical Airways flying stretched Super Douglas DC-8 jets twice a week. Moreover, in 1993, Guyana Airlines was operating nonstop Boeing 707 flights from New York JFK Airport three days a week. Meanwhile BWIA and Leisure Air were operating direct one stop flights from New York JFK Airport. BWIA with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets five days a week via an intermediate stop in Antigua and Leisure Air with Airbus A320 jets once a week via an intermediate stop in St. Lucia .
In March 1997, following the passing of H.E. President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, H.E. President Samuel Hinds decided to rename the airport the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The initiative to do such was established in Parliament (National Assembly) by the Honourable Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Vibert De Souza. He noted that it would be a fitting tribute to a man who had spent his life committed to the betterment of Amerindian people and fighting for the freedom and unity of all Guyanese. A plaque bearing the new name was unveiled on 21 May 1997 by the Prime Minister, Janet Jagan.
Facilities
The airport sits at an elevation of 95 feet (29 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 06/24 measuring 7,448 by 148 feet (2,270 m × 45 m) and 11/29 measuring 5,002 by 148 feet (1,525 m × 45 m). The terminal has six ground level gates and four boarding bridges.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport was recently modernized and expanded. The runway was extended to about 10,500 feet and now there is a new terminal building with eight boarding bridges, elevators and CCTV.
The CJIA facilitates airlines such as Caribbean Airlines and Copa Airlines thereby, attending to the needs of those who wish to travel.
The Mission & Core Values of CJIA
CJIA’s Mission is to provide an airport that is safe, efficient, financially viable and user friendly while providing a quality service that meets and exceeds all required International standards.
Vision: To be the leading airport within the region through operational efficiency and quality customer care.
Core Values:
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Safety
- Service
- Shared Purpose
- Partnership
- Stewardship Resources
REFERENCES
- https://cjairport-gy.com/airport/about-us
- http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=GY55184&sch=SYCJ
- http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/04/26/timehri-an-appealing-village-that-reeks-of-mystic-beauty
- http://www.timetableimages.com/
- http://www.departedflights.com/
- http://www.departedflights.com/
- Main Image: By David Granjer – Guyana, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73909691
