CJIA’s Terminal 2 redesigned into 3-storey building – Indar

As part of ongoing efforts to position Guyana as a regional aviation hub, the design for the new Terminal Two Building at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) has been changed from a two-storey to now a three-storey facility.

This was revealed by Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar during a recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast.

“We put in Terminal Two another 150,000 [square feet]… Actually, we just extended it a little more to get some more, because it was going to be a two-storey. We’re taking it to three now with the design that we have. That there will be a new terminal that will enhance passenger experience,” Indar stated.

Works on the new terminal. Two buildings commenced earlier this year by BHM Construction Inc out of the UK in collaboration with the largest airport group known for world-class operations within the global aviation sector, Manchester Airport Group Ltd – both of which are teaming up on the facility’s design and construction.

The project is being financed in part by the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF), which has offered Guyana a credit loan ceiling of up to a whopping £3 billion. In Budget 2026, the Guyanese Government had set aside some $3.2 billion to advance the construction of Terminal Two, which is slated to be completed before the end of 2028.

The modern 150,000-square-foot building will showcase Guyana›s natural and cultural beauty as well as feature duty-free zones, retail opportunities, rental offices, and lounges. With this new building, the CJIA will be able to dedicate separate buildings for arrivals and departures.

Only earlier this month, President Dr Irfaan Ali lauded this new addition as a state-of-the-art terminal that will be unmatched in the region. He said it will not only celebrate Guyana’s heritage and culture but also the country’s rich biodiversity and ecosystem.

“It is not just a terminal; it is built as an experience. The design of Terminal Two is to create not only a gateway and a passageway for passengers, but also an experience something different. Every country that is worth itself in modern days must be able to create experiences. It is one thing to host a major event, but when those who attend the event leave, they leave with the experience of what was offered,” the Guyanese leader had stated.

Meanwhile, complementing the construction of Terminal Two are several other major projects currently underway at the CJIA, including the installation of a new in-line baggage handling system, the introduction of curb-side check-in services, the addition of more gates, the relocation of the air traffic control tower, and the expansion of the aircraft parking lot.

According to Minister Indar, “We want to make sure we have airlines that can have planes here all the time to do hubs and spokes. So, Guyana becomes the aviation hub for Latin America and the Caribbean. So, you can have planes flying six and a half hours in any direction.”

“Right now, you have to go over to…any part of Africa on the eastern shelf; there, you have to first go north and then come down… The hours are a day, a day and a half, or two days. From Guyana right across to Africa, four and a half, five hours… It cuts the time by half, the inconvenience by half…if you use that route from the south side going up through Guyana as a hub… There are so many opportunities in aviation, so we are going after them very aggressively.”

Nevertheless, these expansion works at the CJIA are in response to the airport’s rapid growth and increased traffic since 2020, with sustained growth in both passenger movement, which went up by 433 per cent as of last year, as well as airline traffic being recorded annually.

In fact, Guyana has seen the number of airlines operating here move from four in 2020 to 16 currently, and according to the Aviation Minister, this number will continue to grow given the country’s growing prominence on the world stage.

“The story of Guyana is a good selling point. The volumes that are coming into the country now are a million. You’ve seen the numbers… So, we have this demand. You’ve got to get people here, and you’ve got to get them out. If you have an investment destination, people have to come and see it, and they have to see it affordably. That’s why we have all of these new lines coming in. British Airways has been back since the ‘70s. We had a Canadian airline come back in too. Another one was supposed to come and was delayed because fuel prices went up because of the [Middle East] war. They didn’t want to add the route during the war. But they›re going to come in 2027 too – another line from Canada. Then you have a lot out of the US [and] many of the Caribbean direct flights that are coming here,” Indar added.