TIMEHRI - CONVIASA launched its first direct commercial flight to Guyana Saturday January 25, 2014.
The Venezuelan based carrier will be operating twice weekly flights to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) – out of Puerto Ordaz where a large Guyanese community is based.
“COVIASAs investment to the country’s aviation sector is a massive step for us,” stated Robeson Benn, Minister for Transport. “It has always been our goal to have our travelling public appreciate new destinations at competitive prices.”
CONVIASA has been on a major expansion in Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean – Guyana is the company’s 10th international destination.
CJIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir stated that CONVIASA’s presence is a one step closer in Public Works/CJIA’s plan to transform the Timehri facility into the ‘next generation hub’.
“I predict that CJIA will become a powerhouse in the foreseeable future. Hence the need for the airport expansion,” he added.
On November 24, 2013, CONVIASA’s President Luis Gustavo Graterol Caraballo, at an inaugural flight ceremony at CJIA, expressed gratitude to Guyana for affording the airline the opportunity to expand its commercial operations.
KINGSTON - Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn, in assuring the general travelling public that all efforts are being made towards ensuring safety in aircraft operations, and said that the Ministry and stakeholders have been examining additional surveillance measures.
Minister Benn expressed concerns over several aircraft incidents that have occurred in the recent past, reminding of an aircraft flipping at Ogle aerodrome one week before the Cessna Caravan crashed on January 18 in the mid Mazaruni, which cleft its pilot and loader dead.
“We have been discussing additional measures, additional oversights in respect of heightening the level of surveillance with respect to aircraft operations. Domestic flights particularly from the Ogle Aerodrome are our very high number. Ogle aerodrome which is now a regional airport has amongst the highest numbers, the highest levels of aircraft activity. Aircraft movements are around 50, 000 annually,” he added.
He said the entire system has been responding to increased levels of activities, and there are some things that the Ministry needs to look into, arriving from investigations of both aircraft.
“Overall we are doing re-assessments, we’re doing reviews as one of the mechanisms of the investigation to improve the activity we do for the Ministry…we want to ensure that we don’t have recurrences at this time,” Minister Benn stated.
He expressed condolence to the families of the deceased on behalf of the Ministry and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The Cessna Caravan registration 8R-GHS crashed just after takeoff from Olive Creek in the Mazaruni. At the time there were two persons on board: Captain Blake Slater and a loader Dwayne Jacobs. The aircraft was at the time on a shuttle operation carrying fuel between Olive Creek and Imbaimadai. The emergency call was broadcast at approximately 10:56hrs on January 18, and an aerial search commenced immediately. The dense forest canopy coupled with poor lighting, occasional poor weather and absence of an ELT signal proved challenging for the search team.
GDF Special Force Officers arrived at the crash location early Monday morning and discovered that both the Captain and the crew member had perished during the crash. The bodies were extricated early Tuesday morning and were flown to Georgetown by midday.
In keeping with the protocols and procedures for accident investigations, the GCAA investigators have identified and commenced the interviewing of material witnesses and are gathering the necessary documentary and photographic evidence at site for analysis.
The GCAA is in contact with the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA, Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Suriname (CASAS), Cessna, the aircraft manufacturer and the engine Manufacturer, Pratt and Whitney.
The GCAA investigators are continuing to process the evidence at site and will be removing the necessary components of the aircraft for further analysis. (GINA)
KINGSTON - The Guyana registered General Cargo Vessel ‘STOLLIE 1”, which was bound for Port Kaituma, North West District, sank off the Guyana Coast between the entrance of the Pomeroon and Waini Rivers on January 18, 2014.
The vessel departed Georgetown at 06:00 hours on Friday January 17 with a consignment of general cargo. There were four crew members on board.
According to the initial investigation, the M.V. STOLLIE 1 is believed to have sunk after its engines failed and it became disabled. Some cargo apparently shifted, thus causing the vessel to list heavily before it began to take in water until it sank.
The captain and crew safely evacuated the sinking vessel with their lifesaving equipment and they were subsequently rescued by a passing vessel some 12 hours later.
This incident is now being investigated by the Maritime Administration Department.
TIMEHRI - The bodies of the Pilot and cargo loader of the ill-fated Trans Guyana Cessna Caravan were found just after 7:00hrs this morning at the site of the wreckage.
Dead are Canadian-born Blake Slater, the pilot, and Cargo Loader, Dwayne Newton. The pilot was found in his seat.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said GDF Special Force Officers arrived at the scene this morning and are in the process of clearing the area to extract the bodies.
The aircraft went down on Saturday morning after taking off from Olive Creek, en route to Imbaimadai in the Mazaruni district.
TIMEHRI - Approximately 1,500 truckloads of sand have been dumped on the trial section of Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) runway extension as of January 11, disclosed Ajay Singh, CJIA’s Engineer attached to the project.
China Harbour Engineering Company is carrying out the works.
On January 4, 2014, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Robeson Benn; CJIA’s Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Ghir; other airport officials and CHEC Engineers visited the sand pit CHEC uses to backfill the trial section.
According to Singh, each truck carries between 27 and 28 cubic metres of sand.
“So far the work is progressing smoothly,” the Engineer added.
The extension of runway is being constructed to category Code 4E to accommodate the BOEING 747-400 aircraft. The runway will be extended from 7,500 feet to 10,800 feet.
The US$150M project also includes the construction of a new terminal building.
KINGSTON - Bhashir Mohamed owner of BM Soat, East Coast Demerara (ECD), has withdrawn all actions on his part in the court with respect to his occupation of public land.
Through his lawyer, Khemraj Ramjattan, a “notice of withdrawal and discontinuation” was filed in the Court of Appeal on Monday, January 6, 2014.
Mohamed’s withdrawal confirmed the Ministry’s argument that it was correct in its move to remove the illegal structures, which included a fence.
The Ministry’s position has always been that the erected fence, which was at the center of the legal wrangle, had to be removed in accordance with the 1973 property boundary line.
BM Soat’s intransigence in this matter severely delayed the much needed road widening works for up to two years and placed an enormous burden on taxpayers.
It is hoped that the turnaround in Mohamed’s attitude will be an object lesson for all those who are illegally occupying Government lands. Guyana’s development cannot be held hostage for the selfish interest of a select few.
Furthermore, the Ministry will continue the removal of encumbrances on Government lands along the main public roads. Notices of this activity have again been placed in all national newspapers.
PETER’S HALL - With the exception of two missing clusters, everything is back to normal at the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) following six hours of intense engineering works on the structure by bridge employees late Wednesday night into yesterday morning.
The works were done under the watchful eyes of Transport and Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, General Manager of Demerara Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams and consultant engineer with the Ministry of Public Works, Walter Willis. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle moments before the works began, Adams said that they were working to ensure that they meet the deadline they had set so that traffic, both ocean and vehicular, could transit the bridge as normal.
Asked about the initial cost of rectifying the damage caused by an oil tanker which had slammed into the facility after the pilot reportedly failed to heed the directions of the bridge traffic controller, Adams put the preliminary cost at just over $20 million.
He also pointed out that the figure has the potential to go higher since there were other aspects of the investigation which has not yet been completed. He noted that the company is aware of the figure being looked at since the company representatives were part of the initial investigation. However, Adams told the Chronicle that the entities involved have failed to come to a common ground with the initial price tag for the damage. When this publication visited the bridge Wednesday night, all materials, machinery and workers were in waiting until the bridge was closed. However, it did not close at 22:00 hrs as the management had initially reported but a grace period of half hour was given for commuters to cross the bridge.
The works entailed the removal and replacement of one of the transoms, the changing of four connecting posts and the testing of the retractor span. The bridge had been unable to open since Sunday’s accident but once all the repair works go according to plan, the first retraction since Sunday will be today at 11 am.
On Wednesday all hands were on board and workers were visibly working hard and fast to ensure they met the deadline set to have the works completed. While the works were dominated by men there was also one woman on the same level of the men and she was competing for equal space in getting the job done. (Guyana Chronicle
KINGSTON - It is quite unfortunate that an overzealous individual without proper authority approached the media in an unsavory way to try and tarnish the reputation of a contracting company.
The Kaieteur News article titled “ECD four-lane expansion…Contractor executing poor works, awarded another contract” on January 8, 2014 gave readers the impression that during a 28 day period, the concrete used by Colin Talbot Contracting Service was below standard.
However, only five percent of the concrete strength was slightly below the Ministry’s criteria for a short section of the drainage works that were carried out by the contracting company. In fact, out of the 439 metres concrete tested only 25 metres failed the assessment.
It is apt to note that with any laboratory testing - whether concrete or soil - conducted by the Ministry’s laboratory it allows for the contractor to correct any defect noted by the Ministry.
The company has been one of the most dependable and reliable contractors the Ministry has worked with and it is unfortunate that the preliminary findings have been made public before quality control or corrections can be done.
As such, the Ministry cannot ascribe any veracity to the information provided by the “reliable source” of the said article.
TIMEHRI - A drug mule was caught with 9.5 kilogrammes of cocaine on January 7, 2014 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) due to the alertness of law enforcement officers at the country's main port of entry.
Canadian citizen Edwards Jones, a passenger on BW 606 flight, went through the screening process at Piarco International Airport, Trinidad and was in transit at the Timehri facility and awaiting the flight to his final destination – Toronto, Canada.
The illegal substance was discovered in the false walls of the 59 year-old checked luggage during a re-screening process at CJIA. The Airport X-Ray equipment was able to detect the anomaly and vigilant ranks were quick to identify the passengers and take him to Georgetown for further questioning.
This is the first major drug bust for 2014.
In 2013, approximately 51 kilogrammes of cocaine was confiscated from mules who tried ingenious ways to smuggle the illegal substance, including ochroes and egg plants.
The success of these detections is credited to the improvements in CCTV coverage, modern security scanning equipment and additional manpower.
KINGSTON - Two suspects in the Ministry of Public Works payroll heist have been arrested following a shooting incident involving them, police said Thursday, January 9, 2014.
Deputy Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud said Kelly Aaron was shot in his abdomen at 2463 Safari Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The suspect in the shooting incident has been identified as Lloyd Sadloo who police described as a “known character”. Other police sources said investigators are working on information that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between the two about the GUY$8 million payroll heist. That incident occurred on December 19, 2013 shortly after a clerk, a security guard and the vehicle driver arrived with the money at the Public Works Ministry. At the time of the incident, Sadloo was in the company of Nabadinge Gobin. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment for robbery, police said.(Demerara Waves)
