Passenger arrivals nosedive but CJIA earns above GUY$1 billion

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

Despite a decline in passenger arrivals, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) still managed to scrape in GUY$1 billion in 2013.

Chief Executive Officer of the CJIA, Ramesh Ghir said before Delta Airlines ceased operating here on May 5, 2013, it had accounted for 75,000 passengers annually, a market-share of 15 percent and an 85 percent payload.

“The decline in passenger movements was primarily because of the loss of Delta Airlines,” he said.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday to review the airport’s performance last year, Ghir announced that the CJIA raked in GUY$1.077 billion, slightly less than the GUY$1.120 billion earned in 2012.  “In essence, what we have done is double our income from 2006 to 2013,” he said.

The airport spent GUY$588 million in 2013 compared to GUY$493 million in 2012.

Statistics show there was a 12 percent decrease in passenger arrivals during last year. Immigration processed 235,967 passengers during 2013 as compared to 267,652 for the same period in 2012. Total Passenger Movements for 2013 amounted to 479,177 compared to 543,374 in 2012.  

Imported cargo for the period under review amounted to 2,287 tons, representing a five percent increase over the previous year. Exports amounted to 2,462 tons or a 36% increase from that of the corresponding period in 2012.

There were 3,811 International Aircraft Movements as at December 2013 as compared to 4,640 for the same period in 2012 (an 18 percent decrease). In addition to Delta cancelling operations to Guyana, he said Ezjet was no longer flying.