Following the recent light issue at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, has assured that swift measures are being taken to restore the runway lighting system by nightfall, essential for the airport’s safe operations.
“As we speak, they are still going through everything on the runway. We would hope that before nightfall everything will be up and running. That is what we are working towards,” the minister told the Department of Public Information (DPI), on Monday.
The incident, which occurred Sunday afternoon, caused extensive damage to several transformers and the lightning protection system of the runway lighting equipment.
Teams from CJIA and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. have been mobilised and are working tirelessly to address the issue.
So far, they have replaced four cable sections and five transformers to expedite the restoration process.
Additionally, Minister Edghill noted that investigations are underway to identify the root cause of the malfunction in the two independent circuits. He also said the investigations would shed some light on future preventive measures.
“The first thing we have to do is find out what went wrong because we have a lightning protection system and we have two circuits. In case one goes out we have the next one. But in this case, both went out…We have to develop measures to prevent that from reoccurring,” Minister Edghill stated.
Despite the setback, affected airlines such as American Airlines, JetBlue, and Copa Airlines have rerouted, rescheduled, and coordinated alternative flight arrangements to minimise disruptions and accommodate the situation.
The CJIA, in collaboration with GPL, remains committed to promptly restoring the runway lighting system.
Regular updates will be provided to keep stakeholders informed of the progress. [DPI]
