Ogle Airport kite-flyers could be arrested

Guyanese are gearing up to celebrate the Easter holiday later this month, and kite-flyers are increasing their presence in open spaces.
However, officials at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle (OIA) are warning members of the public to desist from flying kites at, or in close proximity to, this East Coast Demerara facility, as kite-flyers would face legal prosecution, beginning with their being arrested.
This was disclosed late last week at the Caribbean Aviation Maintenance and Services (CAMS) Hangar on the occasion of several persons receiving certificates for completing a management course in Emergency Operations.
During that event, Ogle International Airport’s Public Communications Consultant Kit Nascimento highlighted the importance of aviation safety, and said the OIA is committed to such practices. The veteran, however, explained that kite-flying in the nearby environs poses a severe threat, especially to the engines of aircraft.
He said that kites flown anywhere in the vicinity of any airport can cause a huge emergency, (being) sucked into the engine of an aircraft, or tangled in any way at takeoff, landing, or approach. This could cause a major calamity, Nascimento pointed out.
Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI), the company that manages the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, the Caribbean’s busiest airport, contend that members of staff are usually the recipients of threats whenever requests are made for kite-flyers to desist from their practice.
“When we ask persons to go somewhere else with their kites, they don’t always appreciate the dangers that they cause. The airport is off-limits when it comes to flying your kite, and if anyone is obstinate (stubborn) enough to persist, you will be arrested,” Nascimento warned.
His sentiments were shared by Ogle Airport’s Operations Manager Phillip Lunch, who explained that with Easter being one of the busiest travel seasons, the Airport has to work tirelessly to ensure the travel safety of passengers.
“The Easter season is the busiest time the Ogle Airport can ever encounter. Because the problem of kite-flying in the approach path is very dangerous and Easter is the time when we have the most work to do in terms of demanding that people take down kites, it’s not easy. People threaten you, but we are looking after the safety of this airport,” Lynch detailed.
He promised there would be an aggressive media campaign to get the word out on the dangers of flying kites near the OIA.
“We will be taking steps to send out flyers and put ads in the newspapers, on radio and television,” the Airport’s Operations Manager noted. (Shemuel Fanfair)