Guyana Civil Aviation Authority honours 39 for dedicated service

Minister Benn said the challenges of meeting the future demands of air transport “is not just about simply being in the air and flying planes,” but rather the aviation sector will have to enable the means to “break the molds which require us to have the regional, extra-regional and international air transport linkages which would allow for the direct development of our country”.

 

He noted that it is not simply about connecting to the traditional north or north east destinations in North America and Europe,   south into South America. Mention was made of the plans to improve the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and Ogle Airport as part of a 50- year, long -term plan by Minister Benn. This plan has to be extended further  to be part of a 100-year projection, he said.

 

“We know that when we speak of turning out a new air transport policy document, fashioning new regulations, upgrading and updating them in trying to get Category 1 status (Federal Aviation standard) in identifying our young people to become trained and capable, and also our administrator… to everything at the level of air transport, we have to have a vision for the next hundred years”.

 

The next 100 years will project to encompass the increased use of drones and pilot-less aircraft, and will require new understanding with relation to safety and technology. A revolutionising of the type of persons, skills and technology to be able to move into the next century of civil aviation, Minister Benn said will also require government and key stakeholders to work in partnership if the sector is to move forward successfully.

 

Giving an overview of the local aviation sector, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Board Chairman Hugh Denbow, said the theme “Evolving to meet the challenges of 21st century air transport”, recognises the significant re-evaluations of the international Civil Aviation Organisation as a whole undertaking, as aviation seeks to forge wider consensus and practical strategic planning to address its imminent challenges.”

The GCAA Chairman highlighted some of the challenges including Guyana’s ability to respond to issues which deal with Aviation Safety, Air Traffic Management, Economic Regulations (for both domestic and international operations) reliable and adequate International Air Transportation Services Aviation Security and the modernisation of airport facilities. He said Guyana is also faced with the challenge of the need to strengthen institutional capacity, recruiting additional staff, and providing specialised and relevant training for current qualified staff members.  

 

“Recognising these immediate challenges are okay, however the obvious question is what is being done to respond to them and also to evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st  century,” Denbow noted.

 

He opined that Guyana and more specifically the GCAA may have been too slow in reacting to the dynamics of the International Civil Aviation Community with respect to these issues. He said since 1993, it has not been in full conformity with international standards and recommended practices. The local aviation sector is now subject to ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit, Denbow said. This comprehensive systems approach for the conduct of safety oversight audits has to maintain as core elements the safety provisions contained in, personnel licencing, aircraft operations, aircraft air worthiness, air traffic control services, air traffic services, accident investigations and aerodromes.

The need for a national airline was stressed by Denbow, who said in a quotation by author Dr Bing Chang, ‘Civil aviation is an instrument of one’s foreign policy’. It is not wise for the local sector to depend on the services offered by foreign airlines, he added, and cited the more than 20 airlines that have come and gone from these shores. The lack of overseas training for staffers in the aviation sector was also cited by the board chairman.

For 2014, several goals will be pursued by the GCAA, according to its chairman. These include providing leadership in the development of a National Aviation Policy, reviewing the Civil Aviation Act 2000, strengthening the capacity of the GCAA, modernising the CJIA and Ogle International Airport along with hinterland airstrips, implementing and enforcing regulations for oversight of domestic operations, training in various fields such as air traffic management, aviation safety, security, economics, air worthiness and air law. The GCAA will push to promote air transport with Guyana and to the rest of the world, he added. “Therefore our air transport directorate will need to expand and deal with the legal and economic aspect of civil aviation”.

In brief remarks, GCAA Director General Zulficar Mohamed said that given the pace of advances technologically and new regulations coming into force, Guyana will find itself  “in a black hole” if it does not keep up. The GCAA, he said is already in the process of modernising its operations, management systems, data and communications networks, with surveillance capabilities earmarked for future improvement. Guyana remains challenged in terms of sourcing specially trained personnel, Mohamed said and its current Category 2 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rating will be improved to a Category 1 once all requirements can be adequately met.               

 

He outlined the huge increases in passengers travelling,  as well as the increased tonnage of cargo being moved over the last decade in particular,  and noted that given the interest from markets such those in the Middle East and China, the CJIA in particular will need expanding to keep up with future demands.

The ceremony saw 11 pilots, 5 engineers and more than 15 other aviation staffers being awarded for more than 20 years of service to the industry. (GINA)