Dear Editor,
I write to applaud the Guyanese authorities and airport personnel for their speedy response to Saturday’s crash of CAL Flight 523 that overshot the runaway when it landed – providing emergency medical attention to the affected and counseling to passengers suffering from trauma. The response from CAL management was also exceptional and swift and of the highest standards in the aviation industry. The airline’s management deserve plaudits for activating its emergency response team so quickly after the incident and having a plane on stand-by to evacuate seriously injured passengers requiring specialized treatment overseas. CAL’s website was quickly updated with info. I first learnt of the crash on SN’s website in the wee hours of Saturday morning and thank the newspaper for being on the ball keeping us informed.
I thank the Chairman George Nicholas, CEO Robert Corbie and Transport Minister Devant Maharaj for their professional and skillful handling of matters arising out of the crash and making information available to the public on actions being taken as well as emergency treatment of the passengers. It so happened that Two Trini Ministers of Government, Stephen Cadiz and Dr. Roodal Moonilall, were in Guyana on business matters and they are to be applauded for working collaboratively with the Guyana government to jointly address issues relating to the crash.
As others have noted, including President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and CAL Chairman George Nicholas, it is a miracle there were no fatalities and only a small number of passengers suffered injuries. I thank the PM and her Ministerial team for making the trip to Guyana to assess the damage and offer assistance. I give thanks and praise to the Captain, Fareed Deen, for his handling of the aircraft after it landed to save lives. This captain has 25 years experience landing in Guyana and I travelled with him on many flights with BWIA and CAL. The handling of the overall crash says a lot about the skill of the crew and the professionalism and management of CAL especially under new leadership since last year July.
This is the first major incident involving the airline during its more than 70 years history. CAL (formerly BWIA) has one of the best safety records in aviation history. Safety has been this airline’s number one priority. In my experience with the carrier, and I travel with it every two months, if the captain has a safety concern, the plane does not fly unless the problem is certified.
Saturday’s incident has put a blemish on the airline’s perfect record. But its no fatal accidents record remains in effect making CAL still the safest bet to fly. I have faith in the airline and I will certainly continue to fly the carrier. Its services and the planes used are of internationally accepted standards and over the last year service has improved tremendously and CAL has shown greater respect for Guyanese passengers. The fact that CAL sent so many personnel and the P.M. as well as CAL’s Chair from Trinidad shows that the airline cares about its Guyanese clientele. People show they still have faith in the carrier as demonstrated by the long lines waiting to get a flight to Guyana from overseas destinations. CAL has been sold out for most of the summer. I hope the crash will not have a negative effect on air travel and on flying with CAL. There were no serious injuries and no fatalities. That is a plus for this airline.
I conclude by wishing everyone a speedy recovery and hope CAL continues its exceptional response to this accident.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
