GCAA exploring avenues to increase revenue

DPI, GUYANA, Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Head of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lieutenant Colonel (retd.), Egbert Field said the Authority is currently exploring avenues to increase its revenue which has been ‘stabilised’ in the last two years.

In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Director-General explained that the GCAA is financed and managed through fees collected from aircraft that pass through its airspace.

“It was reported to me that, over the past year or two the revenue stream has stabilised if not taking a slight dip. This is mainly due to the quantity of aircraft passing over. Before where you would have ten aircraft passing, now have eight…because the airlines are using larger aircraft to fly through, to get passengers from one point to another,” Field explained.

Against this backdrop, the Authority will consider revising its fee structure or look at future measures to boost its revenue, while at the same time fulfilling its mandate.  Field related that this year the GCAA is forging ahead with its capacity building programme and working to increase its level of compliance. This, he noted, will significantly cost the agency; hence, it is critical for the agency to earn more revenue.

“It is vital that we maintain our training programme and that we to move towards full compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). But it’s a balancing act; you don’t want to cut too much that you even cut your efficiency. So, we’re looking for ways that will benefit us and Guyanese in the long run,” Field explained.

Other major plans the authority has in its pipeline for 2018 include constructing its new headquarters in Providence, East Bank Demerara; operationalising the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems, and achieving a 33 percent paperless electronic filing and digital collection during inspections.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur

 

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