MONTEGO BAY, St James — Director General of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) Nari Williams-Singh says major plans are in place for the upgrading of air traffic control equipment and training of personnel.

“We also have very aggressive plans in place to monitor and maintain our current systems in conjunction with our maintenance service providers, Aerotel. We are trying to be as proactive as we can in remote fault monitoring, looking at trends so we can head off potential problems before they occur,” he said.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Williams-Singh said the new air traffic control towers for the Donald Sangster and Norman Manley International airports are complete and should be commissioned into service by the end of this year.

Jamaica’s air traffic controllers monitor Jamaica’s airspace and also provide limited service to the Cayman Islands, while maintaining communication with their counterparts in Panama, South America, Haiti and Miami.

Williams-Singh said an average of 178 flights are monitored by the country’s air traffic controllers on a daily basis, adding that there should be a steady growth in air traffic in the coming years.

He lauded the air traffic controllers for their role in ensuring that Jamaica continues to meet international aviation standards.

He said that Jamaica’s air transport sector continues to successfully pass rigorous scrutiny, which is due to the dedication and cooperation of various stakeholders, including air traffic control personnel.

“We continue to meet international standards. We are evaluated on a regular basis and we continue to meet the required standard, in particular with our air traffic service, and we continue to provide safe, reliable service within our flight information region. Our air traffic controllers have done us proud and they continue to do so,” he said.

— JIS