–to boost the standard of aviation in Guyana

THE GUYANA Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) have pledged to cultivate stronger ties in their bid to increase the standard of aviation operations in the country.The two sides resolved to work together to build the industry when a meeting with the new Aviation Director General, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Egbert Field, was requested by the aircraft operators and facilitated by the GCAA a week ago.

The aircraft owners reiterated concerns that remained within the aviation sector over the years. These include Guyana’s inability to attain International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliance or improve its level of compliance; the condition of interior airstrips; security, accident reporting, and new regulations.

Field told the Guyana Chronicle that operators were assured that at least two full-time Flight Operation Inspectors would be made available on the Authority’s staff, since this was one of the matters raised. These inspectors have the task of ensuing safety and compliance during operations; and extensive training is required in this area.

Field said that based on the operators’ agenda, he would address concerns of the current regulations within the scope of the GCAA.

He said operators were pointed to the GCAA’s website, where a draft of new regulations would be made available for viewing. “The Authority promised that the draft regulations would be placed on the website for operators to review and offer their comments,” Field said.

He said that, currently, some draft regulations are already available on the website, while the full review would be available by October.

In relation to being ICAO compliant, Field said, the Authority was in the process of addressing Guyana’s non-compliance issues with the ICAO, and was expecting to be audited by the international oversight body in less than two months.

“We are currently preparing for the ICAO audit, (which is scheduled) for the end of November,” Field said. He noted that the GCAA had already sought the assistance of the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) for inspectors from Jamaica to assist Guyana in its preparations. Two Jamaican inspectors are already in Guyana, having arrived two Saturdays ago, to assist local inspectors.

On the matter of security, Field said the GCAA was currently conducting corrective actions based on the findings of a security audit. He said assistance from a security consultancy firm was being utilized to facilitate the process. “We are cognizant of the security audit held in June (last), and we are currently developing a corrective action plan for the findings,” he disclosed.

This type of security involves passenger screening and the procedures surrounding it, and screening of baggage. Field said GCAA is in the process of “really increasing its staff in various technical and supporting units.” He said the process involving accidents was one requiring support. At the conclusion of an accident report, he noted, the findings are sent to the subject minister, who then determines when it goes public. Some accident reports are also found on the Authority’s website.

The Director General described the GCAA/AOAG meeting as “very successful”. He said that based on the operators’ replies, the GCAA was satisfied with the responses to their concerns, and promised to play its part in bettering the industry.

Some of the operators in attendance were Wings Aviation’s Captain, Ronald Reece; CAMS’s Anthony Mekdeci; Trans Guyana’s Michael Correia Jnr; AOAG’s president, Beni Sankar; and consultant Kit Nascimento, among others. Field recognized, however, that not all of the country’s aircraft operators had attended the AOAG meeting. He said that as the GCAA pledges closer ties with all aviation stakeholders, he intended to call all operators to the table, whether they represented themselves independently or did so under another umbrella.