A simulated aircraft crash emergency exercise was conducted at the Timehri airport on Wednesday to ensure that its operations and capabilities remain in accordance with the standards and requirements of an international aviation establishment.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, the objective of the exercise was to test responses by personnel and emergency plans, procedures, equipment and communication in place. Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn, who observed the exercise at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, said he was satisfied by the response of the various agencies. “This is a requirement for this type of facility and with respect to our international obligations, [International Civil Aviation Organisation] ICAO, and also the industry. So we have to be ready for any eventuality to protect the travelling public and remove things as quickly as possible in any such event,” he said.
The ICAO requires all international aviation establishments to have an emergency plan that outlines a comprehensive response to any situation whether at the airport or aboard an aircraft. These include incidents such as aircraft crash, fire and bomb threat. As part of the plan, it is necessary that a simulated emergency exercise be conducted once every two years.
CJIA Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Ghir said preparations for the activity had been planned over a six-month period in collaboration with the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the air traffic service, the airport fire service, security unit and airport operators/airlines, the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation and the Civil Defence Commission.
Senior officials of key agencies including the GCAA, the main regulatory body for aviation in Guyana, which is responsible for ensuring that ICAO’s requirements are met by the CJIA, observed the exercise. A debriefing session is expected to be conducted to identify the strengths and weakness of the exercise.
GINA said over the years government has made investments to modernise the airport, improve its services and enhance its security to meet national and international standards.
Last year the CJIA was recertified for the third consecutive year as being compliant with ICAO standards. Of the 22 aerodromes in the Caribbean that facilitate international flights, CJIA is one of two which can boast of this achievement, GINA said.
