The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has launched an investigation into Sunday afternoon’s near miss involving a LIAT aircraft which was inbound to the Cheddi Jagan Inter-national Airport (CJIA), Timehri and a Learjet which had minutes earlier departed the airport for Jamaica.

Minister of Transport, Robeson Benn told this newspaper last evening that an investigation has been launched into the incident, after which required action will be taken against whatever party is found to be at fault.

This, he said, is a normal procedure which the GCAA would take whenever such incidents occur.

Stabroek News understands that a senior member of the GCAA   stationed at Timehri was on duty at the time of the incident in which the LIAT aircraft’s pilot had to take drastic evasive action to avoid colliding with the Learjet.

Her air traffic control licence has since been suspended pending the investigation. A source told this newspaper that the matter is also engaging the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Reports are that around 2 pm on Sunday, the LIAT aircraft was proceeding to CJIA when it came within hundreds of feet of the Learjet.

There have been several near misses at the airport in recent years.

On Saturday, an Air Services Limited plane made an emergency landing at Baganara after one of its engines failed.