Aurora Gold Mine Twin Otter exposes loophole in local aviation regulations

Jun 17, 2018 News

Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Field

Investigations by Kaieteur News into the Canadian-registered Twin Otter operating for Aurora Gold Mine have revealed a loophole that could hinder access to employment for Guyanese pilots within the aviation sector.
Under existing regulations, there is nothing compelling foreign commercial operators based in Guyana and conducting business in Guyana to register their aircraft to carry Guyana’s registration under the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
And under international aviation laws and for insurance purposes, a pilot certification must match the aircraft registration.
In the case of Aurora Gold Mine, this means that Guyanese pilots will have to be certified by Canadian authorities before they can operate the company’s Twin Otter. According to aviation officials, if the plane was registered in Guyana, it would open the door for the employment of local pilots who are certified to fly the Twin Otter.
Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Field, said that the agency is currently preparing amendments to the regulations which will address the loophole for foreign commercial operators setting up in Guyana.
He explained that the updated regulations will not affect international and regional operators like LIAT and Caribbean Airlines.
“What we have in mind is, you will be able to derive local content from what we will place in the regulation. This is strictly for companies coming into Guyana for commercial operations within Guyana. The inclusion in our regulation will result in local content being utilized,” Field explained.
According to Field, the proposed regulations will include a requirement where the commercial operator coming in to provide the service will have to acquire an operator’s certificate from Guyana.
“By acquiring a local operator’s certificate it means that an aircraft coming in for commercial operation, it will have to be registered locally so that individuals with local licenses can operate it. We have our local operators, but any one coming is what our legislation will affect,” Field outlined.
For Aurora Gold Mine, Canadian Flyers is the registered owner of the Twin Otter which is being used to shuttle goods and employees in and out of Region Seven daily.
Field had previously told Kaieteur News that the aircraft was granted permission to provide a private service for Aurora. Private air operations are distinct from commercial air operations and Field had stated that the regulatory body did not consider the Twin Otter plan as a commercial plane.
Local aviation officials have indicated that Canadian Flyers as the registered owner could be seen as operating commercially for Aura Gold.
“It is a very thin line being walked,” one official shared.

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