The second phase of the Ogle Airport expansion project is now ready to proceed with financing arrangements completed to allow for the release of grant financing from the European Union totaling 1.5M Euros. On completion, the airport will move closer towards becoming a regional airport.The expansion project will commence early next year and will stretch over a period of 24 months, Airport Manager and Vice President of the Aircraft Owners Association, Mr Anthony Mekdeci announced yesterday. He was speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Engineering School.News of the expansion comes with aircraft owners promising that the airport will not suffer from the current global financial meltdown. Chief Executive Officer of the Engineering School, Malcolm Chan-a-Sue, said that operators at Ogle are optimists, and he said there will be no shutdown or layoffs.Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, speaking at the same ceremony,Wholesale Soccer Jerseys, said the expansion project will allow Ogle to facilitate air traffic from the Caribbean, Venezuela and Brazil.?According to Public Relations Consultant, Kit Nascimento, when the expansion is complete, Ogle can begin landing regional air carriers with a 50-seat capacity. The runway will be expanded from 2,000 feet to 4, 000 feet and will move the airport from a status of Class 1A?to Class 2.The first phase of the expansion project for the airport was complete in the first quarter of 2006 at a cost of some $400M.That phase met all the safety requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). These included the construction of a 2,Wholesale China Jerseys,000 feet long and 60 feet wide Class 1A runway built to international specifications, aircraft taxi and parking areas and the opening of the new terminal building today, housing customs, immigration,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, health and air traffic control.The second phase of the project was due for completion this year, but the project suffered some setbacks.The upgrade of Ogle airport into a regional airport is seen as very important, given that it is five minutes away from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) headquarters and the Guyana International Conference Centre.Ogle is the hub of all domestic air transport travel, serving as the base now for some eight operators maintaining a fleet of more than 30 aircraft transporting about 60,000 passengers and 3,000 tons of cargo per year.The present terminal building is designed to accommodate about 75,China Jerseys Authentic,000 passengers per year.The second phase of the expansion will also further widen the taxiways and increase the size of the parking aprons. It will provide for additional drainage, fencing,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, and the installation of runway lights,Discount Football Jerseys, as well as an improved navigation system and the upgrade of the fire service.The second phase, apart from lengthening the runway, will also widen it by 100 feet to comply with ICAO’s Class 2C requirements.It will accommodate aircraft such as the Twin Turbo Prop Dash 8, 300 and include the expansion of this terminal to accommodate the movement of 150,000 passengers per year.