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$4M generator for CJIA

Aug 02, 2008 News

…to avert further airport shutdown

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn has admitted that the back-up generator at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority tower at Timehri is indeed outdated.

Commenting on the incident, which led to the shutting down of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Tuesday evening, Minister Benn said that the generator that went down is ‘pretty old.’

The entire runway was out of lights as a result of that outdated generator He told Kaieteur News that he was not aware that the GCAA tower needed a new back-up generator.

According to the minister, he has since authorised the purchase of a generator for the facility.

“We are buying new Air Navigation Equipment, and so we had intended to buy a new generator with this equipment.

I have since told them to go ahead and buy a new generator with capacity to take on additional equipment,” Minister Benn said. The new generator will cost $4M.

Minister Benn told Kaieteur News that on Tuesday last there was a thunder strike and a massive thunder storm at Timehri, which disrupted the electricity supply.

“GPL went up and was doing some work. At some point in time they were required to use the back-up generator for the tower and the runway lights, but the generator failed. It turned out that there was a problem with the radiator on the engine.”

The lightning knocked out the electricity supply to the GCAA tower and the entire airport. The situation worsened after the back-up generator went down when a flight was about to land at the airport.

Efforts by technicians and controllers stationed there averted disaster after an approaching Sky Services aircraft almost ran off the runway.

Reports reaching Kaieteur News stated that, at about 14:15 hrs, the electricity went out and the GCAA generator kicked-in, but at about 16:15 hrs, the generator shut down.

A source close to the airport operations told Kaieteur News that the incident involving the Sky Services aircraft was ‘frightening.’

The total shutdown at the airport led to the cancellation of Caribbean Airlines and Zoom flights, which were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday evening.

A source told Kaieteur News that GCAA was advised some months ago to ‘get rid’ of the generator, which was deemed ‘outdated’ by the maintenance company.

Only a few weeks ago lightning stuck the tower and damaged equipment. To compound the situation, the source said, the main navigation equipment room was vandalised.

The GCAA has since began running an advertisement for maintenance technicians for the generator at the control tower.

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