Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 19, 2008 News
Employees at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport were again in a state of panic last evening when the communication system was disrupted as a result of faulty Guyana Power and Light lines.
Kaieteur News was told that two arcing GPL lines which were not properly connected caused the reception on all frequencies to be disrupted, at about 14:45 hrs.
As a result, controllers were unable to communicate with planes arriving in Guyana, as well as those that were passing in the airspace above the country.
One flight, which departed Boa Vista, Brazil, was forced to return to that airport. A Liat flight was also delayed in Trinidad.
Roraima Airways, which has a contract with Fedex to transport cargo from Guyana to Trinidad, was also delayed. That plane, however, landed late last evening.
An official from the airport told Kaieteur News that, over the years, the lines were patched each time there was a problem. He said that these lines helped cause last evening’s disruption.
“It was another frustration. Every day is something else up here. We are so close to having one of the biggest events in this country and the airport shutting down. The management of this place needs to be investigated,” the official said.
The source said that one good thing about yesterday’s incident was the fact that technicians were able to identify the cause of the problem almost immediately.
Up to late last night, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, was meeting with the Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Chief Executive Officer of the airport, and other officials.
When the incident occurred yesterday, Minister Benn immediately went to the airport, where he summoned the senior officials to an emergency meeting.
Over the past two weeks, the airport has been constantly shutting down because of technical difficulties.
On July 29 last, lightning knocked out the electricity supply to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) tower and the entire airport.
Moreover, 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 when an approaching Sky Services aircraft almost ran off the runway.
Reports reaching Kaieteur News stated that, at about 14:15 hrs on July 29 last, there was a thunderstorm in the area, which knocked out the electricity.
On routine, the GCAA generator kicked in, but at about 16:15 hrs, the generator shut down. A new generator is yet to be installed at the GCAA tower. Following that incident, the facility was again shut down after the entire runway lights went down.
Guyana managed to borrow portable lights from Barbados, and those were installed on Friday. Kaieteur News was told that a technician from Barbados arrived in Guyana to install the lights.
The minister told the media last week that it will take a number of weeks before the regular lighting system at the airport is fully restored. (Tusika Martin)
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