Ghir vouches for CJIA’s integrity in wake of CAL mishap
THE CHEDDI Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has a track record that speaks to the efficacy of the systems in place to ensure the facility remains a safe port of entry. Chief Executive Officer at the CJIA, Ramesh Ghir emphasized this point during a media briefing at the airport yesterday, exactly one week after Caribbean Airlines BW 523 crash-landed on Runway Six with 154 passengers and six crewmembers on board.
This statement comes in the wake of reports that seem to suggest the important systems at the airport were not up-to-par and might have contributed to the accident.
Ghir also seized the opportunity to address concerns raised over the standard of the facility and the equipment used at the time of the accident.
“What we have done is, sought to confirm that all equipment at the facility are in working order, as part of that investigation. Also, there were some tests done to verify the runway and its ability; a friction test… I can say very clearly that all of the facilities and equipment were functioning at that time, and still continue to function,” he assured.
In terms of the integrity of the runway, Ghir said an audit done by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in January of this year found that both the airstrip and lighting were in excellent working order, and met international standards.
The audit also took into account the control tower and all infrastructure and equipment necessary for flight operations into Guyana.
“The airport itself has a track record that speaks well for us, at least since I have been here, Ghir said, adding: “Since 2002, we have not had any major accidents; we are very proud of that, though there were minor incursions.”  He subsequently explained that by minor incursions he meant incidents relating to the operations of the airport.
As to whether the facilities should be rechecked in the wake of the CAL mishap last Saturday morning, Ghir said: “Because the systems are functioning as they should, I don’t think there will be the need for another audit. But the investigations are still ongoing, and we will see what comes out of that, and what directions we will head.”

Inter-agency response time
Ghir took the opportunity to commend all of those persons who responded to the crash and rendered assistance within their capacities.
He stressed that within minutes of the Airport Authorities being notified of the accident, a chain of events was triggered in keeping with their emergency response protocols.
Giving a bit more details, Ghir said the CAL plane crashed at precisely 01:32hrs and by 01:34hrs, when the authorities were notified, the Emergency Response Plan was immediately set into motion and the relevant teams mobilized.
“These calls were made in accordance with the established procedures in the Airport Emergency Plan,” Ghir stressed.
And by way of substantiating the capability and experience of the initial response teams, he said that since 2004 there were at least seven emergency exercises at the airport, thus most of the first responders would have had a chance to practise and go through the drills over the years.
More importantly, after being advised of the accident by Air traffic Control (ATC), Ghir said the Aerodrome Fire Service responded to the crash within three minutes, dispatching three fire tenders to the end of the runway, where they were so positioned as to provide lighting to the area and respond to any fire. Some officers, he said, even assisted a few passengers with exiting the aircraft.
As to the provision of medical services at the time of the crash, Ghir reported that the Port Health Officer who was at the airport, proceeded to the site and established an emergency area less than one hour after the accident.
While the passengers were receiving preliminary care, a medical team, comprising four doctors and three ambulances, was dispatched to the site.
In terms of the effectiveness of the response to the accident, he stated:  “This is just a preliminary report, but maybe as early as next week, we will have the airport emergency committee meeting, and we will have all agencies examine the entire response. I’m sure coming out of that there will be recommendations.”

Crash site
Now a week since the miraculous crash-landing in which no one was killed, though many were injured, a team of CAL engineers are in the process of removing the wrecked US$38M aircraft from the runway.   
Ghir disclosed that the aircraft will be handed over to CAL officials and placed at a facility at the airdrome.
He noted that most of the investigating teams have since concluded their preliminary inquiries and will be compiling their report.
“The plan is to remove the engines and nose to one hangar, while the wing and back half of the fuselage will be taken separately,” the CJIA CEO said.
This process is expected to take one week to complete.
Flight BW 523 overshot the runway at 01.32 hrs last Saturday, crashing through the perimeter fence before coming to rest.
Of the 154 passengers and six crewmembers onboard at the time, the most serious injury reported was a broken leg.
Under the leadership of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), investigators from across the Caribbean, the United States and the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing, arrived shortly after to conduct investigations into what caused the accident.
The ‘Black Box’, or the Flight Data Recorder(FDR) from the plane was removed and taken to the NTSB headquarters in the United States early last week and will be analyzed and a report compiled.
Shortly after the accident, President Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister Robeson Benn and other senior officials arrived at the airport to lend support to the passengers.
In addition, representatives from Caribbean Airlines flew into Guyana to discuss the incident and the way forward.