Guyana Civil Aviation Authority understaffed, lags behind the technology curve

Oct 23, 2015 News

–Director General (ag)
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA) is woefully understaffed, behind the curve with technology, and its regulatory framework is in urgent need of revamping.

An aerial view of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

These were among some of the critical observations coming out of the first ever Aviation Conference held locally, with participation from the Regional and International fraternity.
Acting Director General, Chaitranie Heeralall detailed some of the challenges facing the GCAA last Monday, while addressing attendees at the opening of the conference at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre.
According to Heeralall, GCAA’s staffing strength has never been revised since its establishment some 14 years ago.
Her call for the strengthening of the agency was made in light of the recognition of the importance of the industry to the country’s national development.
To this end, Heeralall said, “we must pay attention to all the pillars of aviation…the pillars of aviation are airlines, airports, air navigation services providers and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, which is the safety oversight body for all aviation activities.”
She noted that as it relates to airlines, airports and air navigation services providers, these sectors have all ‘taken flight’ while the safety, oversight and regulatory body—GCCA—has been stagnated.
According to Chaitranie, the Civil Aviation Body which was founded 14 years ago still operates under the same structure.
The GCAA Director (ag) said that “while the aviation industry has grown ten-fold,” the human capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority “is still where it was (14 years-ago) at the formation of the authority.
“This we certainly need to address; this is one of the most critical areas and the challenges of this industry.”
According to the GCAA Director, it is imperative to ensure that all of the various sectors that fall within the industry grow together, “so that we can have a strong system.”
Technology
On the matter of the use of technology, Heeralall said this was another area that also needs to be urgently addressed.
She observed that “aviation has gone miles ahead of a lot of other industries where technology is concerned.”
The GCAA Director (ag), in seeking to point out the disparity in the use of existing technology recalled a confab where pilots had publicly empathized with air traffic controllers, since the avionics (flying) technology, “has run away and left the air traffic control aspect of it.”
“In the cockpit, when the pilot has all the bells and whistles to point out when things are going wrong, the air traffic controllers do not.”
The Director General’s concerns were also shared by Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, who, in addressing the opening of the aviation conference, also lamented the state of affairs.
According to Ferguson, “despite its noted importance in Guyana’s national development, the sector faces numerous challenges such as, a weak regulatory regime, shortage of skilled personnel, underdeveloped search and rescue system, limited international routes and global connectivity, no national airline, poor state of hinterland aerodromes.”
Increased capacity in its aviation sector is among the obligations Guyana would have signed onto through a number of international conventions.
According to Ferguson, Guyana must once again find itself among the countries of the world that are compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices.
“We must invest in infrastructure that will aid our efforts to meet the timelines established in the global aviation safety plan and the global air navigation plan.
“Key to achieving this is a successful completion of Guyana’s ICAO Compliance Project, which has received my Government’s support.”
“I am confident we will achieve the much talked about US FAA Category One status.”