THE Government is to commence review of the 2007 National Transport Policy (NTP) during the 2018/2019 financial year.

Director of the Projects Unit in the Ministry of Transport and Mining Tanya Bedward said the review will take into consideration the aviation industry.

“Part of the process will be to revisit the current policy and to also assess it within all the changes that would have happened in the (aviation) sector, which would have been significant over the years,” she said.

Bedward was speaking to JIS News at an aviation seminar and luncheon held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday.

The seminar was hosted by the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ), Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) and Aeronautical Telecommunications Limited (AEROTEL) as part of activities to observe International Civil Aviation Week.

Bedward pointed out that because of the nature of aviation, any review must take into account local and international happenings within the sector.

She noted that the revision will also examine the technological development that has occurred in the industry, taking into consideration the introduction of drones.

The policy revision will also incorporate consultations with key stakeholders from within the aviation industry, as well as those outside of the industry, inclusive of private citizens.

The NTP covers all aspects of transport in Jamaica — air, water, roads, railways, infrastructure and services.

It identifies the issues faced by the Government in the development of this very important sector and addresses the roles of Government, the private sector and the numerous authorities operating in the sector.

It also identifies the changes necessary in the regulatory structure, and it also deals with the environment and safety.

Meanwhile, board director of the JCAA, AAJ and AEROTEL, Leroy Lindsay, said the seminar was held to bring awareness to civil aviation.

“When we had the lightning strike the other day, a lot of people asked questions, really out of not knowing. The function was put on, so that individuals can ask questions that have been troubling them for some time. It also gives information to the public that there is an aviation industry that provides jobs,” he said.

Lindsay, meanwhile, said that steps are being taken to improve the technology within the aviation industry.

At the same time Transport and Works Mining Minister Mike Henry, in a message read by chief technical director, Dr Janine Dawkins, said hurdles exist that the civil aviation sector must continue to overcome under the expert regulation and guidance of the JCAA.

Henry expressed confidence in the JCAA in overcoming the hurdles, and commended the three agencies for “their arduous efforts and commitment to making the Jamaican airspace a global competitor”.