Pilots, ATC suspended after 2 planes end up on CJIA runway simultaneously

Disaster was averted Monday evening at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Timehri after two aircraft, a Roraima Airways Britten Norman Islander and a Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) aircraft, ended up on the runway at the same time.

The runway incursion, which occurred at about 23:14h, has resulted in at least three pilots and an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) being suspended as an investigation has been launched into what the Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lt. Col. Egbert Field, said was a “dangerous situation”.
More than one aircraft is not allowed on the runway at the time same time especially if both are still operating, that is, landing or taking off.

While there was no physical contact between the two aircraft and no damages or injuries were recorded, Field explained to the Guyana Times on Wednesday that the licences of the local pilot and the air traffic controller were suspended in accordance with the standard procedures.
“Once there is an incident, all parties involved in that incident are suspended until we get a preliminary report or if the investigating party thinks the suspension of an individual or individuals could be lifted because you don’t want to suspend people and then they are completely innocent,” Field to the Guyana Times on Wednesday.
According to the GCAA Director General, he informed his counterpart in Trinidad and Tobago about the incident and similar actions were taken against the CAL pilots. “I was informed that they too are suspended as is standard procedure for any [aviation] incident.”
Meanwhile, the GCAA Head would only say the preliminary report would be ready “very shortly” but could not give a timeline. He, nevertheless, assured that the suspension would be lifted once no culpability is found on the individuals involved.
This newspaper understands that the Roraima-owned aircraft had landed at the CJIA and was still on the runway when the Caribbean Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max, was also given clearance to land.
Based on reports, the CAL aircraft had to break at a jolt to avoid a collision with the smaller aircraft.
CJIA in a statement said that “Preliminary information indicates a Roraima Airways aircraft was turning off the main runway then appears to have changed its direction resulting in both the Roraima Aircraft and Caribbean Airlines being on the runway at the same time.”
The probe will ascertain how and why this runway incursion occurred and investigating team will make the necessary recommendations on the penalties and/or actions to be taken against anyone found culpable.
This incident comes as the CJIA has seen an increase in daily flight with more regional and international airlines expanding operations here. Simultaneously, the local aviation industry is also facing a situation whereby it is losing workers, including ATC, to the oil and gas sector.
In 2024, Guyana Times had reported that 20 Air Traffic Services staff had resigned, with nine resignations associated with Air Traffic Services for the period January to December 2023, comprising seven Air Traffic Controllers and two AIS/AIM officers.
The GCAA had said based on the exit interviews, three employees had related that “better opportunities” was their reason for leaving, while the other six had referenced non-financial reasons.
Just last year, Guyana’s Civil Aviation Training School was accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Principal of the Guyana Civil Aviation Training School (CATS) Clifford Van Doimen told this publication earlier this month that the shortage of Air Traffic Controllers has been a decades long issue not just here but around the world.
According to Van Doimen, Guyana only started to arrest this issue between 2014 to maybe 2018. The most recent intake of Air Traffic Controllers comprised some 25 persons from across Guyana.