GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has signed an agreement with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), which will see aviation personnel from Guyana undergoing international training in air navigation services for the first time in more than a decade.

On Wednesday, newly appointed Director General of the GCAA, Captain Egbert Field and Head of Air Navigation Services, Chaitrani Heeralall, met with those who have been selected to undergo the 14-week course in Jamaica.

Field urged the employees to make the best use of the opportunity in order to boost the operations of the aviation sector in Guyana.

“Pay strict attention to what you are sent to do and execute what you are sent to do and return to Guyana successful and take up the mantle to assist air traffic controllers here,” he said.

Field who worked with the JCAA for more than a decade and rose to the position of Director of Flight Safety, believes the training in necessary and will help push to improve aviation standards here.

“I intend to make this Authority equally, not try to, I intend to make this Authority if not equal then better than that in Jamaica,” he added.

Meanwhile, the GCAA has announced plans to establish its own approved school within six months to train local air traffic controllers.

“We need to have the programme approved and the approval process takes a while. It has to go through a certain number of stages,” said Field .

“We are in dire need of Air Traffic Controllers. On their return, they will undergo on-the-job training with senior instructors,” Field added.