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– $900M invested to modernise aviation industryAlmost $900M is being plugged into new equipment to upgrade the country’s air traffic systems with no deaths recorded for the last 22 months.This is according to officials of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) which celebrated the 66th International Civil Aviation Day yesterday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.The upgrade will see a host of new equipment for the Air Traffic Control towers at both CJIA and Ogle Airport with the manual,World Baseball Classic Jerseys Outlet, analog systems being phased out.Addressing a gathering which included Minister of Transport, Robeson Benn, new graduates and stakeholders, GCAA’s Director General, Zulficar Mohamed, said that the regulatory body for air traffic, continues to play a critical role in ensuring Guyana comply with international standards.“Despite the gap that exists between resources of the authority and the rapid development of the aviation industry in Guyana,cheap jerseys nfl wholesale, it is noteworthy to mention that in the last 22 months, there was no loss of life due to aircraft accident. This is a good indication of the degree of safety that exists in the environment in which we operate,Adam Loewen Canada Jersey,” the official said.Emphasising how safe the country’s aviation industry is, Mohamed noted that there were approximately 6,470 domestic flights with almost 68,000 passengers, but no fatalities.Stressing the vast improvements in safety worldwide, he pointed out that last year, 2.3 billion passengers used the air transportation system with only 654 deaths, while in 1949, 27 million persons travelled by air with 998 dying in accidents.“What was arguably considered a dangerous way of traveling 60 years ago is now very safe.”However, while the industry is doing well in this area, there are concerns by GCAA over the scarcity of both human and financial resources that are critical for safety oversight.With increasing threats from terrorists,wholesale jerseys, complacency does not remain an option.“The authority is working assiduously to prevent this by conducting security inspections, tests, audits, reviews and approval of stakeholders’ security policies and generally monitoring security measures and practices to ensure compliance with the national policies and regulations.”Recent inspections at both CJIA and Ogle have generated favourable results which are commendable,” Mohamed said.Additionally, GCAA has started to conduct more checks on a number of hinterland airstrips, he disclosed.Chairman of GCAA’s Board, Brian James,Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale, stressed that Guyana is coping well with more flights,jerseys nfl wholesale, routes and bigger aircraft being added. Additionally, the country’s strategic location in South America is recognized for the opportunities that abound.The investments in new equipment to modernise the traffic control towers are but a larger part of the plan to bring the industry more in-line with international standards, James assured.And with UNASUR, the opportunities for continental cooperation have opened up the possibilities even more.The official called for more training and resources to be made available for this critical industry which bears a huge cost for continuous education for its workers and stakeholders.According to Transport Minister Robeson Benn, the very real challenge of climate change has placed a burden on operations of the aviation industry with flights being rescheduled and even engines being modified to make it more eco-friendly to lessen the carbon footprint.He too lauded the news that there were no aircraft fatalities in recent times.Stressing the importance of the industry, Benn urged for an extensive history to be mapped that would be invaluable to future generations.He noted the development of the Ogle Airport to an international one and disclosed that several permits were issued in recent times with the mandate given for the industry to further expand.The Minister also called for a more modern tracking system to be installed in local aircraft involved in cross-country flights.Addressing the new Air Traffic Controllers, whom he described as “space cadets”, Benn insisted that there should be no fear for the future. Investments in the air traffic towers, runways, and at Ogle Airport, are all good signs for the industry, he concluded. |
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