GEORGETOWN - Government would soon install cutting-edge surveillance technology at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in an ongoing programme to bring facilities of the air navigation systems and physical infrastructure at the airport in line with air transportation systems used worldwide.
The way was cleared for acquisition of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology at CJIA following Parliamentary approval of the $80M required for its installation.
In justifying the request for ADS- B at CJIA, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn recently told members of Parliament that ADS-B acquisition and installation was in keeping with the intention to improve air navigation safety and surveillance systems in Guyana.
It was also in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements for airports to upgrade their communication, navigation and surveillance infrastructure operations to the newest generation of such technologies.
What is ADS-B? A reliable source has explained that ADS-B is surveillance technology for tracking aircraft.
It is similar to radar, but is not as expensive. It can track and monitor real-time movement of the aircraft, which can be useful for air traffic control purposes.
“For search and rescue, the aircraft will actually be there on the screen and you can track it, so that if anything goes wrong with it, you would know where it would have been at the last point of contact,” the source said.
ADS-B reputedly also makes flying significantly safer for the aviation community by providing pilots with improved situational awareness. Pilots in an ADS-B-equipped cockpit would have the ability to see on their in-cockpit flight display other traffic operating in the airspace, and would have access to clear and detailed weather information. They will also be able to receive pertinent updates, ranging from temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) to runway closings.
“ADS-B technology provides a more accurate report of an aircraft’s position. This allows controllers to guide aircraft into and out of crowded airspaces with smaller separation standards than it was previously possible to do safely.
“It also reduces the amount of time aircraft must spend waiting for clearances.
“It is the latest in air navigation systems,” the source said.
Minister Benn said expenditure on the instrumentation installed at the CJIA, mainly at the Control Tower, has, to date, amounted to close to one billion dollars. This work has been done by a Canadian company named Intelcan Technosystems Inc.
“The ADS-B system is, in fact, being sole-sourced to Intelcan Technosystems Inc. because of equipment compatibility requirements with the system currently in place,” Minister Benn said.
He said all improvements done at CJIA to date had started from the first point of improving air safety navigation surveillance, and to ensure that Guyana has an up-to-date, reliable and sustainable aviation management system for the safety of both pilots and passengers.
Acquisition and installation of the ADS-B is being done by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), with technical advice and support from ICAO. Completion of the work being done at CJIA is expected during the course of next year, Minister Benn said. (Guyana Chronicle)
