A $200M Instrument Landing System (ILS) will soon be operationalised at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport as its multimillion-dollar expansion project continues.

On Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Roraima Group, Captain Gerry Gouveia, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the ILS will address challenges faced by pilots when landing their aircraft at the international airport, particularly in the mornings, when there is thick fog.

“I am very heartened by the installation of this new landing navigation system because it increases the level of safety and reliability of the airline so that pilots would be able to safely and accurately follow the landing system,” Captain Gouveia explained.

Meanwhile, Director of Operations within Roraima Airways, Captain Leary Barclay, said ILS is very efficient. “We are also very happy with how it was implemented. The Civil Aviation Authority would have sat with us. There were three options. There were some cost

considerations and they sat with the industry and they implemented the option that was agreed to by the Civil Aviation Authority and the operators… So, it was a collaborative effort which was a breath of fresh air with how things are being done with the Authority,” Captain Barclay said.

Director of Air Navigation Services (ANS) within CJIA, Rickford Samaroo, explained how the project was conceptualised. “The expansion work had required us to remove landing system and so accommodate the runway extension,” said the ANS Director.

The project is expected to have a major impact on flight operations. Director Samaroo said, “what this [project] does is allow airplanes to operate at lower minimum. That’s for instance, if the weather condition is poor, the system guides airplanes down to the runway as low as 200ft above the runway, at which point the pilot will make a visual descent to continue his landing.”

Other expected outcomes and impact of the new Instrument Landing System include reductions in operation cost and increases to airport capacity and access. This project will also allow the government to be in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) Global Air Navigation Plan for Runways and Vertical Guidance.

The $200M project, along with the airport expansion project, allows the Coalition Government to work towards the realisation of the United Nations Development Goal number 9, which seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.