In light of the three recent plane crashes which took the lives of two pilots, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced that as of today (Wednesday), a suspension has been placed on shuttle operations in the Hinterland regions.
“My team and I, during a preliminary analysis, we found that there is a common thread running through these accidents…That common thread running through all three incidents is shuttle operations…All three accidents took place during shuttle operations,” Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Fields told media operatives today.
According to Fields, as a result of the accidents, “the authority has now taken the decision to suspend all operations until the documented procedures and policies for shuttle operations are submitted, reviewed and approved by the inspectors of this authority.”
Moreover, the GCAA has opted to increase their capacity in the entity in order to allow increased surveillance of air operators, where they intend to conduct more ramp inspections of flights going out.
Field said that as soon as the review is completed with regards to all documentations submitted by the operators, the ban will be lifted. However, there was no stipulated time period.
“We hope that it does not take too long…but we hope that those documents will be submitted to the Authority shortly.”
Shuttle Operations allow miners and other business persons to transport goods and fuel to various locations within the interior by air.
The Director General of the GCAA posited that while this type of operation is important to the development of Guyana, it has proven to be very risky.
“The shuttle operations for organisations have developed rapidly over the years as a result of the changing dynamics of developmental programs,” he said, while noting that the authority is seeking to regulate this type of operation.
Additionally, the Authority intends to host a Safety Symposium in October 2017 and preparations for such has commenced. (Ramona Luthi)
