Building capacity in the country’s Civil Aviation Authority and the maintenance of local aerodromes in order of priority are among eight key undertakings necessary for the meaningful raising of service standards in the service sector according to Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer and member of the local Aircraft Owners Association Gerry Gouveia.
But Gouveia told Stabroek Business that he believed “meaningful improvements” in the quality of the service being provided by the country’s aviation sector could only be realized if there is serious discourse between government and the private sector. “Frankly, I do not believe that nearly enough bilateral discussion takes place between government and the private sector on aviation matters,” Gouveia said.
The usually outspoken Gouveia has weighed in on the problems of the aviation sector several weeks after another local aircraft owner, Trans Guyana boss Michael Correia had called on government to undertake repair and rehabilitation work on interior airstrips.
Among the other priorities identified by Gouveia as part of a package of what he described as “comprehensive upgrading” of the aviation industry are the security of runways including fencing and “locking out unauthorized persons and stray animals; upgrading search and rescue capabilities; creating an independent accident investigation capacity; implementing effective airspace management systems and creating a reliable aircraft tracking regime.
“As far as the Guyana Civil Aviation Organization (GCAO) is concerned what we really need is to recruit adequately qualified professionals while enhancing the qualifications of those who may already have some level of competency.”
Gouveia told Stabroek Business that there continued to be a considerable measure of industry concern over the fact that the GCAO had been unable to recruit a suitably qualified person to serve as Director General of the GCAO. “I believe that the salary levels required to find and keep an adequately qualified DG may well be an issue. To get a competent person we are going to have to pay a salary commensurate with qualifications,” Gouveia said.
According to Gouveia, the local aviation sector had not been “very good at looking after its trained and qualified people and had consequently lost those persons to “greener pastures.” Gouveia named former army officer and veteran pilot Egbert Fields, Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, Anthony Mekdeci and another army officer and pilot, Larry London as experienced aviators with the capacity to serve the sector well.
Gouveia, who had previously spoken with this newspaper about the limitations of the local aviation sector, restated his view regarding the need to create an independent accident investigation facility. “What we have at this time is a situation in which the GCAO investigates itself,” he said.
The Roraima Airways boss told Stabroek Business that subject to the availability of funding he would also wish to see air control services being created at interior airstrips as well as an aircraft tracking system.
