-through a 440M works programme
AIRSTRIPS in the hinterland are to be upgraded this year by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications through a $40M maintenance programme.
This was disclosed by Mr. Alphonso Mangah, Assistant Aviation Inspector who said that this expenditure was in addition to major works done to the Airstrip at Kamarang in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and a new strip being constructed at Bemichi in Region One
(Barima/Waini).
The upgrade to the Kamarang Airstrip was done at a cost of $19M while the new strip at Bemichi will cost some $58M for construction.
The  Kamarang airstrip received  a new bitumen surface over its  100- metre (3,000 feet) runway and work which started in November last year was completed last week.
Construction of the new airstrip at Bemichi is ongoing and is expected to be ready for use by early July.
Mangah pointed out that parts of Guyana’s south, south-west and south-east have large areas that are  accessible only by air.

For these areas, the hinterland airstrips are used by light aircraft for tourism and for flights associated with forestry, gold mining, medical evacuations and serving isolated communities in these areas.
The airstrip works programme by the Ministry is a continuing one to provide links between the coastal areas and communities in the hinterland which are accessible only by air transport.
Mangah said that the $40M budgeted will be used to maintain airstrips in all ten administrative regions.
He disclosed that as is now the routine, residents in the hinterland areas near the airstrips will be doing the bulk of the maintenance for which they will be paid on a quarterly basis.
He said this method of maintenance has produced satisfactory results since the communities involved had a vested interest in ensuring that the airstrip is safe for use at all times.
“They would be unable to get supplies and other necessities if the airstrip could not allow safe landing. They would be the first to suffer. The system of resident contracts and community maintenance works and the programme is proceeding satisfactorily,” he said.
Mangah asserted that all of the recent aircraft accidents at hinterland airstrips had more to do with pilot error than the bad state of any of the strips being monitored and maintained by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.