Civil aviation issues have been brought into sharp focus in the last 24 hours with the runway incident in Corozal. But that's only one issue for the local airlines. The other issue that's been simmering for weeks is that they can't fly into Flores, Guatemala. It's a major source of revenue and a major sources of tourists traveling between both countries. But whose fault is it really that Belize's local carriers have been banned? Jacqueline Godwin investigated.
Margaret Ventura, CEO
It's not that we in the Ministry or the department has deliberately delayed anything."
Up until two and a half week ago, Belize's two airlines, Maya Island Air and Tropic Air had regular scheduled flights to Guatemala. The daily flights into Flores, Peten were popular among locals and tourists. But all of that changed on November fifteenth when the Guatemalan Civil Aviation Authority stopped the local air carriers from flying into their country.
Margaret Ventura,
"It is hurting tourism and in fact I said to my colleague, the Vice
Minister from Guatemala, that with the suspension, it is hurting our airlines but it is also hurting their tourism industry because through the packages that tourists secure to come to Belize, the flights to Tikal and other sites in Guatemala is also some of their packages. So I indicated very clearly that we are all in this together and that there are economic benefits on both sides."
Guatemala recently made the decision after the International Civil Aviation Authority issued the country a category one status, granting them the authority to fly into the United States. To remain compliant with the international regulations Guatemala then had to suspend the flights from Belize. That's because Maya Island Air and Tropic Air must have internationally recognized Air Operators Certificates that can only be issued by the Belize Department of Civil Aviation.
Tony Godwin, Quality Assurance Manager, MIA
We are ready, we are prepared and have done the work to get it but we are not able to access and actually have the certificate granted to us. For an AOC to be granted, the local airlines must have completed all five phases of the examination process: That tells the world that they have met international standards for aviation safety and security."
According to Maya Island's Quality Assurance Manager, Tony Godwin, his airline is approximately eighty percent complete with the AOC process and is now waiting for those documents to be reviewed and approved by the BDCA. The BDCA however after issuing a letter of receipt on October First has still not yet completed the vetting process.
Tony Godwin,
"The frustration levels are all over the map and it is something that has to be addressed and we need it as quickly
as possible."
According to the Ministry's Chief Executive Officer Margaret Ventura, they have secured the services of the aeronautical safety agency for Central America, ACSA to speed up the vetting process.
Margaret Ventura,
"ACSA along with the Department of Civil Aviation will be going through the documentation. I made a special plea to the director of ACSA for them to give us the assistance, the technical assistance we need to fast track. We depend on the support of ACSA with their technical team to fast track the process and so where are we? I can say to you definitely that we are moving the process."
Moving the process, but right now these planes that would normally be ferrying tourists to and from Guatemala are at a standstill. And they will remain that way until legislation is passed in the National Assembly. Fact is that the Department of Civil Aviation may be committed to complete the process, but lawmakers have to do their part by passing the law which will give Civil Aviation the legal authority to issue an internationally recognized AOC - and end the embargo.
According to the Minister responsible the Honorable Joe Coye, he has already accepted and signed it but for whatever reason, the Belize Civil Aviation Regulations have not been implemented.
Margaret Ventura,
"The legal review and vetting. There were some technical issues that the Solicitor General's Ministry had to be sorting out but it is not an overnight issue. There were also some technicalities with the revision of the legislation through Cocessna's support, was developed in Spanish and we have had to go through a process of the translation to English to make sure that all the member states are operating from the same legislation base except that it is applicable to or amended to fulfill the individual needs."
But for Belize's largest airline Maya Island Air, the delays have been exasperating.
Tony Godwin,
"Imagine anyone who has ever flown on a major carrier to any parts of the world where there is bad weather and you get caught in a holding pattern and you're stuck flying around and around at 25,000 feet and you want to get off the airplane - that's what we feel like. We would like to get this process done so we can move ahead, bring more tourism to Belize, take more people from Belize to other locations so they don't have to pay lots of money to other carriers, and keep those dollars in Belize."
Margaret Ventura,
"What I want to assure the airline industry is that whatever we can do as a Ministry, to help them, we will certainly do that and we will have the legislation completed very shortly."
Very shortly, but it can't be soon enough for at least two local carriers. Ventura confirmed that so far only Maya Island and Astrum Helicopter Service have submitted documents for the AOC process. Reporting for 7News, Jacqueline Godwin.
