UK firm building second terminal at CJIA

BHM, an international company part of the United Kingdom’s Mowlem Group, will be constructing the second terminal at Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The sod for this project was turned on Monday, a move that President Dr. Irfaan Ali hailed as a signal of the transformation yet to come for the country.

“In 2025, Guyana declared itself ready for the future. Today’s event is not about the airport terminal but the journeys yet to come,” President Ali declared from the project site.

“There is no shortcut, there is only one route to this: hard work, sacrifice, and relentless commitment from every one of us.”

BHM will be partnering with the Manchester Airport Group to design and construct the new 150,000 square-foot arrivals terminal. The company will also work on the reconfiguration of the existing international terminal.

Earlier this year, about $7 billion was budgeted for the CJIA’s expansion. This project is a major part of those expansion plans.

According to BHM’s Managing Director, Phil Atkinson, the design phase of the project is underway. Construction is expected to begin early next year, with completion anticipated within approximately 18 months.

The rapid expansion of operations at the CJIA— with several new flights and a major increase in travellers— necessitated the construction of the new terminal, according to the airport corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ramesh Ghir. The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government’s focus on expanding the tourism sector is another major reason for the investment, Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond explained at the event.

The PPP/C is seeking re-election at Guyana’s upcoming elections set for September 1, 2025.