Pres Ali sets 5-year deadline for 2 international airports, new CJIA terminal

In order to prepare Guyana for regional and global competition, President Dr Irfaan Ali has set a five-year deadline for the completion of two new international airports and the second terminal that is currently being built at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri. The Head of State made these remarks on Saturday during the commissioning of the $468 million Five Miles Water Treatment Plant at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). At the time, he was speaking about the importance of establishing the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation and the role this agency will play in Guyana’s national transformation. “This is a Ministry that also must deliver two international airports in five years and a second terminal [at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport]. Half of an international airport can take you sometimes 10 years but we don’t have a choice [to act fast] if we are to adjust our economy for regional and global competition,” President Ali posited.
Only last week, the Public Utilities and Aviation Ministry issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design, construction and financing of two new municipal airports at Rose Hall/Canje in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and at Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). It was noted that the new Berbice airport will strengthen domestic and regional air transport, unlocking new opportunities for trade, tourism and economic growth along the East Berbice corridor. On the other hand, the airport facility at Lethem is expected to position the Rupununi as a key aviation gateway connecting southern Guyana to Brazil and the wider Latin American market. It will be capable of accommodating larger aircraft thus expanding cross-border commercial activity and passenger traffic. Meanwhile, construction is already underway for a modern 150,000 square feet (ft²) Terminal Two at the CJIA, the country’s main port of entry. Some $3.2 billion was allocated in Budget 2026 to complete the new terminal, which is being executed by a United Kingdom (UK) based company, BHM Construction. It will partner with the Manchester Airport Group to design and construct the facilities within the 18-month timeline. According to President Ali on Saturday, “These are critical infrastructure that we must complete in record time so that we can leapfrog ourselves into what the future brings for us.” While these projects are the beginning of a larger vision to transform Guyana into a global aviation hub, the Guyanese Leader pointed out that the economic impact of the sector must be shown. “Aviation by itself is a massive area of transformation and we want to see in five years or four years from now, a direct count on what contribution aviation made to GDP (Gross Domestic Product). That is what we are moving to – building up the diversified economy in a measurable way. And that is why this [Public Utilities and Aviation] Ministry is of critical importance,” the Head of State noted.
The two new proposed airports complement other large-scale initiatives, including plans for a deep-water port, expanded gas infrastructure and strengthened highway linkages to Brazil, all of which form part of a coordinated effort to integrate Guyana more deeply into regional supply chains. Speaking at the opening of the Energy Conference in Georgetown last Tuesday, President Ali linked these airport initiatives directly to deeper economic integration with Brazil, noting that Guyana is preparing for expanded cross-border connectivity. “We are gearing up for the interconnectivity with Brazil and the interconnectivity with the rest of the region,” he said, pointing to advancing road corridors to Lethem and into northern Brazil, as well as other major infrastructure developments designed to support trade and investment flows. President Ali framed the airport projects within a wider national strategy to transform Guyana into a transport and logistics hub, leveraging its geographic location between the Caribbean and the South American mainland. “Ensuring that we position Guyana to be, because of our strategic geographic location, a transport and logistics hub for the region,” he said, emphasising that infrastructure expansion must move in tandem with the country’s rapidly growing energy sector. He underscored that infrastructure remains the foundation of sustained economic progress. “Every great nation, every great development around the world, begins with infrastructure,” the President declared. Acquisition of RFP documents for the two new international airports begun last Thursday. The Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation is expected to host pre-proposal conferences on February 27 and March 4, 2026, at its 55 Main Street, Georgetown, headquarters.