| The National Air Transport Association (NATA) said yesterday that it was demanding that the proposal to rename the Ogle International Airport to the “Eugene.F. Correia International airport,” be withdrawn.President of NATA, Annette Arjoon-Martins (Centre) and two other representatives during the press-briefing yesterday, Georgetown.President of the Association, Annette Arjoon-Martins, said yesterday at a press conference hosted at the Private Sector Commission (PSC) headquarters, that the Association was “shocked and surprised” at the “sudden decision” made by the President, David Granger,Cheap Jerseys Online, to rename the Ogle International Airport (OIA).The President, according to NATA, made this proposal at an introduction ceremony of an aircraft at Ogle last year September.Arjoon-Martins said yesterday that Ogle Airport Inc., was incorporated in 2000 with five equal shareholders each owning 20 percent of the shares; these shareholders who were all aircraft operators served as directors of the company.Arjoon-Martins said that 15 years later,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, Correia Group of Companies owns 67 percent of the shares of this company ultimately leading to the Ogle Airport Inc. becoming a member of the Correia Group of Companies.“Of the original five founding directors only two were allowed to remain. Furthermore, five of the seven directors of OAI presently are either family or associates of the Correia Group who now control everything at the airport.“It was never the intention of the five founding shareholders/directors that one of the aircraft operators should ever control the airport. It was also never the intention of the Government of Guyana when they signed the lease agreement with OAI in 2000 that one single operator would control the airport in 2016.” Arjoon-Martins said.But Michael Correia had explained that when funding was needed to develop the airport,Cheap Jerseys From China, none of the other shareholders came forward with money, except Air Services Limited. But even that company refused to invest more money later, leaving Correia to take the risk.NATA was founded on November 11,Cheap Jerseys From China, last year,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China, with a mission of providing representation and advocacy for the aviation industry.Their membership collectively owns and operates over 40 aircraft at the Ogle International Airport and represents 90% of the aviation industry.Upon learning that President Granger had “urged” the Directors of the Ogle Airport Inc. to consider the renaming of the Airport, all of NATA’s members wrote to Correia,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, advising him of their nonsupport, Arjoon-Martins said.“This was due to our collective experience of abuse, dominance and oppression by the Correia Group and OAI. The Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission with whom an anti competitive complaint had been filed in 2013 had to confirm the existence of abuse and dominance before accepting the complaint which it did.”Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), issued a statement yesterday saying,China Jerseys, “The renaming of the airport in favour of a former public official of the same name as that of the Chairman of the Ogle Airport Inc. will add to the already filled vessel of complaints regarding anti-competitive behaviour of the Board of Ogle Airport Inc.”“NATA is strongly of the view that the proposed name change which includes the name Correia would be harmful to our collective interests. We feel it would give an even more unfair advantage to the Correia Group of Companies which is headed by Michael Correia.” Arjoon-Martins asserted.The President of NATA stated that Correia sold the idea of the President’s proposal to the Board Members as a Presidential Initiative and gave no thought whatsoever of its “detrimental impact” to the nine aircraft operators which competes with his companies.But President Granger denied any such collusion with the Correias. |
