Civil Aviation halts Insel Air operations here
Safety issues cited
In light of concerns raised over the safety of the craft used by Insel Air, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has halted the airline’s operations here, pending discussions with officials from the Curacao Flag carrier.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Egbert Field told Stabroek News yesterday that a letter had been written to the Curacao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) seeking clarity on the issue facing the airline. He further noted that though that correspondence was close to two weeks ago, the GCAA is still awaiting a response.
In the meantime, the GCAA has prohibited Insel Air from using any of its aircraft to fly into Guyana. This move by the GCAA has reportedly resulted in the airline using another company, Fly Always, as charters to facilitate some of its flights.
Based on reports carried by several regional and international news sources, Insel Air has for some time been experiencing financial difficulties and safety issues.
One such incident as reported by the Curacao Chronicle, saw a flight destined for Miami having to return to Curacao, after pilots were confronted with a warning that there was no pressure in the cabin, while another incident saw pilots of the airline refusing to take off from St. Maarten because they deemed the aircraft unsafe.
In light of concerns raised about the safety of passengers travelling with Insel Air, both the US Embassy and Surinamese Consulate in Curacao have since issued notices advising its officials and citizens against using the airline.
Prior to that, it was also reported that the CCAA had grounded almost all of Insel Air’s aircraft in both Aruba and Curacao, due to safety issues.
Attempts to contact Insel Air’s local handler, Roraima Group of Companies for a comment on the situation were unsuccessful.
Insel Air commenced service to Guyana in 2014 with flights to Aruba and Curacao, and offered flight connections to over 20 destinations, including Miami.