Airport management, security did nothing wrong – Gouveia

Missing Cessna 206 planes

…says Govt should pursue pilots

Veteran Pilot and Aviation operator, Captain Gerry Gouveia has come out in strong defence of the management of the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) and the Airport Security, after two Cessna 206 plans, which were allegedly escaping Litigation in the High Court, were flown from that airport to locations outside of Guyana on Sunday morning.

Gouveia, a former army pilot and managing director of Roraima Airways, told Guyana Times Sunday evening that the airport management and security “did nothing wrong”.
“The Airport and the Airport Security are no way in violation of anything to do with what happened at Ogle (EFCIA) with these airplanes. It is the pilot who violated the Guyana Aviation Laws and the International Aviation Laws. He violated the privileges of his licence and the Government of Guyana should pursue him to the end of the earth to ensure this type of disrespect to our law and order is not allowed to prevail,” Gouveia said.
Gouveia’s comment came on the hells of similar remarks reportedly made by Spokesman of EFCIA, Kit Nascimento who had reported that there was no breach of airport security.
In fact, he noted that the pilots took off without filing a flight plan and without notifying the airport security and immigration: “I want to stress that every licensed airport operator has access to their aircraft whether in hangers or on the tarmac… these aircraft were parked on the light aircraft parking facility that is available at the Airport.”

He stressed that all the airport security staff were on duty and would have allowed the men onto the airstrip because they had air flight passes.
The pilots, the official reiterated, did not notify the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The air traffic control tower was only aware of what was happening as the aircraft were taxing down the runway to take off.
There were also reports that the pilots, before departing with the planes, left forged customs documents.
But, when contacted and questioned on the reports of forged documents being left, Nascimento declined to offer a comment.
The two planes departed the airport in the early hours of Saturday, without clearance from Customs, Immigration and Air Traffic Control.
The aircraft bearing registration numbers 8R-GTP and 8R-GMP are subjects of High Court litigation in Guyana and were not supposed to leave the country.
Acting director general of Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Chitranie Heeralall had confirmed that the aircraft left Guyana without authorisation, adding that the planes left between 04:00h and 04:30h.
The aircraft, which are worth US$110,000 each, are owned by Oxford Aviation and were subjected to a court injunction by Phoenix Airways. The planes were however detained in Anguilla after flying through Trinidad airspace and landing in Grenada to refuel.
One of the pilots was identified as Munidat Persaud, a Guyanese who owns a flight school and charter service in the United States. The other pilot Guyana Times understands is not licenced to fly in Guyana’s airspace. (Edward Layne)