-after Trans Guyana incident

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Friday said that it is alarmed by the increasing frequency of animals crossing aerodrome runways across the country.  

Its warning came days after Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) said one of its planes went off the Mabaruma airstrip in a bid to avoid an animal.

“The GCAA unequivocally condemns any act that obstructs aviation operations. The deliberate or negligent release of animals onto runways constitutes a direct and unacceptable threat to the safety of passengers, flight crews, and aircraft. Such actions are reckless, endanger lives, and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. These disruptions are serious criminal offenses under the Civil Aviation Act 2018”, the Authority warned. 

It said that anyone found responsible for compromising aviation safety will be prosecuted to the fullest extent and subjected to severe legal penalties. 

“The safety and security of the aviation sector remain paramount, and the GCAA, in partnership with law enforcement, will ensure rigorous enforcement and decisive action against offenders”, the Authority added.

It reminded the public that under the Civil Aviation Act 2018. Specifically, Section 83(1) of the Act provides:

“Any person who trespasses on any land forming part of an aerodrome or causes any animal to trespass on such land commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one million dollars and to imprisonment for six months.”

The GCAA urged the public to treat all aerodromes as safety-critical infrastructure and to immediately report any suspicious activity or threats to aerodrome operations to the relevant authorities, or anonymously to GCAA’s Hotline 608-4222. 

Prior to the Mabaruma incident, the TGA had raised concerns with the GCAA about intrusions on hinterland runways.

On September 21st the Aviation Operators’ Association of Guyana (AOAG) called on the GCAA “to assert its authority to ensure that all of our aerodromes are regulated to observe and meet the required safety standards”.

“The recent aircraft occurrence at Mabaruma has again brought public attention to the issue of runway incursions. While the circumstances of that occurrence are subject to investigation by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the wider problem of animals and persons entering aerodrome operating areas has long been a concern to aircraft operators.

“An aircraft taking off or landing is operating at a critical phase of flight. The sudden appearance of a dog, cow, horse, pig, bird, person, vehicle or other obstruction on a runway can leave a pilot with only seconds to react. Avoiding a collision may require a rejected take-off, go-around, emergency braking or evasive action, any of which can place passengers, crew and the aircraft at considerable risk.

“Hinterland aerodromes are essential lifelines for many communities, providing access to medical evacuation, food and supplies, passenger transportation, government services, tourism and emergency response.

“Protecting these aerodromes must therefore be a shared responsibility”, the AOAG said.

The association  urged residents living near aerodromes to keep livestock away from airport boundaries, refrain from crossing runways or damaging perimeter fences, and immediately report animals, persons or other hazards observed within restricted airport areas.

TGA had written to the regulator on June 16 this year about animals, people and other hazards at several interior airstrips and again on September 9 about increased wildlife activity and repeated bird strikes, with Mabaruma identified as the location most seriously affected.

Eight days after the second warning, one of the airline’s aircraft was forced off the Mabaruma runway when an animal entered the landing area, TGA said.

TGA, in a press release on September 18 said the incident caused considerable damage to the aircraft and endangered passenger safety. The release did not identify the animal, state how many passengers were aboard or say whether anyone was injured.

The airline described animal and human incursions at government-owned hinterland aerodromes as a matter of “considerable concern” and a continuing threat to commercial and private aircraft.

It said the problem was particularly worrying at aerodromes which were not under the required level of supervision, despite significant expansion and development works being undertaken at some of the facilities.