Senate airs concerns for passenger safety at Sangster after take-over
SENATORS yesterday raised concerns about the safety, security and ease of passengers who will use the Sangster International Airport following its planned take-over by a Canadian-based concessionaire group, YVRAS.
Government senator, Navel Clarke, insisted that provisions be made for disabled persons to access the airport and advocated that this group of persons, along with senior citizens, should not be charged an airport fee as proposed by the Bill.
Opposition senator, Oswald Harding, raised security concerns related to illegal trafficking of arms and drugs while praising pilots employed to Air Jamaica for their general skill and competence.
This, he said, had prevented a mishap when failed navigational equipment caused an airbus to miss the runway at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston last November and almost landed on homes in the Hope Pastures area of St Andrew.
Meanwhile, independent senator, Professor Trevor Munroe, added his praise of the pilots and also commended the island’s air traffic controllers for their “yeoman” service in making the Jamaican airspace one of the most accident free in this hemisphere.
The senators made their comments during the debate of the Airport (Economic Regulation) Bill in the Upper House. The legislation permits a private entity to take over the running of the island’s airports on behalf of the Airports Authority of Jamaica.
Government is currently negotiating a concessionaire’s contract with the YVRAS group based in Vancouver, Canada to expand the facilities at Sangster International Airport and, subsequently, operate the facility.
The Bill was passed with one amendment which required the regulations to the legislation to come before Parliament for affirmative resolution.