Gov’t mulls ‘aggressive’ action to remove airport squatters

Aug 04, 2011 News

Caribbean Airlines crash…
The government is looking to move against squatters along the country’s only international airport after a Caribbean Airlines pilot commanding flight BW523 overran the runway last Saturday morning.
The packed Caribbean Airlines passenger jet skidded off the runway as it landed at the Cheddi Jagan International, then broke in two at the edge of a ravine. There were no casualties.
With the plane crashing through the fence and unto the nearby roadway, narrowly missing surrounding houses, the government is looking to take “aggressive” action to remove the squatters from the airport’s perimeter.
Beyond the acknowledgement that the plane overran the runway, there is not much that the government is saying, as the civil aviation authority here is working with regional and international experts to determine what went wrong.
“I think we should hold our horses and allow those investigations to be completed, those findings to be publicised, more somberly sit down and indeed reflect on what should be blamed or who should be blamed for what,” said Dr Roger Luncheon, the government’s chief spokesperson, yesterday.
While the investigations are ongoing, Dr Luncheon said that the most preliminary observation about interventions at the scene suggests that aggressive action is needed to remove the squatters who are directly in the path of the extended runway.
He said that removing the 300-plus squatters is not a simple task, as construction is ongoing despite the dangers caused by living near to an airport.
“I am pretty certain the sight of BW523 descending on their homes may make the work on progress in removing the squatters easier. If that doesn’t I don’t know what will,” quipped Dr Luncheon.
The Cabinet Secretary said that international flights are densely regulated by local regulatory and international bodies. He said these bodies have obligations to do compliance checks to ensure that the airports remain compliant.
He said that with such incidents as last Saturday, the inevitable blame game creeps in.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft overshot the runway and burst through a perimeter fence after arriving at the airport. The craft was coming from New York following an intransit stop in Trinidad.
The front of the plane snapped off and the craft stopped meters from a jungle gorge. No fire broke out and only three people were hospitalized, one for a broken leg.
The plane came to a rest outside the airport, its front half broken off and its nose in thick undergrowth.
Flight BW 523 was carrying 157 passengers and six crew. The Trinidad and Tobago-based Caribbean Airlines said it did not know the cause of the accident, which happened during good visibility and light rain, according to local authorities.
A total of 35 people were treated for their injuries, including the plane’s pilot, Edinburgh Gardens, 52, the Georgetown Public Hospital said in a statement.
The summer months are a busy travel period in Guyana as many citizens who live overseas return for vacations. The airport closed for several hours after the crash but reopened by midday.

Latest News

Gov’t mulls ‘aggressive’ action to remove airport squatters

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

$1.5M up for grabs at K&S National Futsal Championship

Big Names Ready for Group 4 Showdown at ENET...

West Indies hammer England in series decider

Guyana Amazon Warriors confirm squad for 2024...

Excitement brews ahead of Hamilton Green’s KO...

SAMUEL FOO wins SEN School’s Chess Competition

Features/Columnists

A broad-based movement for the people’s voice on oil

Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all

That ever-present ‘they’

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Gov’t mulls ‘aggressive’ action to remove airport squatters

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]