GCAA mulls suspension of license for airlines, pilots that breach COVID-19 guidelines

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is currently developing a draft COVID-19 regulations for when Guyana’s international airports are operating again.

Airlines operating in Guyana along with airport staff and pilots will be required to comply with the COVID-19 regulations, the Department of Public Information reported.

Director General of GCAA, Lt. Col. Egbert Field said that the penalty for non-compliance with the regulations will be suspension of license whether if it’s the airlines or pilots.

He spoke at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Saturday after the arrival of some 137 stranded Guyanese from Miami.

Field said the airports COVID-19 regulations are necessary to bolster the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that were also drafted.

The airports will be reopened in four phases and the Aviation Authority is in the process of finalising the SOPs which is part of the first phase.

“Should individuals not conform to the measures outlined in the SOPs, there must be a document that you can refer to and say ‘listen, you’re accountable to this section and if you transgress this section, you must be able to face some kind of penalty’,” Field said.

“Whether it be the airport, the airline or the pilots, either suspension of license, suspension of operating certificate [etcetera],” he was quoted by DPI as saying.

He explained that the development of the regulations will be done through meaningful consultations with all stakeholders.

On March 17, Guyana closed the all ports of entry as part of its fight against COVID-19. The closure was subsequently extended to June 3 and now to June 17.

Field had told the News Room during a recent interview that Guyana’s international airports will likely fully re-open in late 2020 or early 2021.

Guyana is now entering a “soft-opening” stage where a limited amount of repatriation flights can operate.

The first phase of opening the airports will be planning and strategizing the SOPs and regulations. The second phase will include inviting international workers, diplomats and international agencies.

The third phase will expand and allow tourists to enter the country. Field said each phase will depend on the previous one which will ultimately determine whether to fully re-open the airports.