The Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) has proposed a $1.5B rehabilitation programme for hinterland airstrips over the next three years, which would see runway extensions to accommodate larger carriers and the maintenance of the landing areas.
The AOAG has been lobbying for the improvement of airstrips in the hinterland and has raised the issue during meetings with President Donald Ramotar and Finance Minister Ashni Singh.
The group has since proposed to government the three-year programme to kickstart the rehabilitation of airstrips, including the extension of the ones at Matthews Ridge, Kaieteur Falls, Baramita, Lethem, Imbaimadai, Kato, and Aishalton.
According to AOAG official Nazim Baksh, the government is only maintaining 45 hinterland aircraft landing areas, while the others are left unattended. Many airstrips, he said, were run down and in desperate need of maintenance.
Air Services Limited (ASL) General Manager Annette Arjoon-Martins, also speaking at the briefing, revealed that pilots working for both ASL and Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) have decided not land on airstrips which they think is dangerous.
Arjoon-Martins said that at an informal level, “there are collaborations between ASL’s Chief Pilot and Trans Guyana’s Chief Pilot that when we go into an airstrip where we think it is too treacherous, we jointly don’t send our aircraft there and then we advocate for authorities to work on the issue as soon as possible.” She added that there were other “informal” actions that could yield improvements.
However, there is an established system where the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) would address airstrips issues that would have been brought to its attention by pilots. “GCAA have to address the airstrip specifically on safety grounds or that airstrip is deemed not safe and thus place pressure on the Ministry,” TGA Public Relations Officer (PRO) Kit Nascimento said.
Baksh, also a member of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA), said that the dire state of the airstrips was not only affecting hinterland flights but also the mining industry. He lobbied for some airstrips to be lengthened since the mining industry was suffering because they had to use smaller planes to transport a lot of the load.
President of the AOAG Michael Correia said the AOAG had presented a detailed proposal to rehabilitate and maintain most of the landings in operation to the government and was hoping for a positive response. He said that the project was also presented to the parliamentary opposition—A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC)—which has promised support.
