THE Guyana Aircraft Owners Association needs to sit down with the security services to identify some serious plans to deal with skyjacking, Managing Director of Roraima Airways and President of the Tourism Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Captain Gerald Gouveia stated yesterday.

In light of the hijacking of the Trans Guyana aircraft yesterday, he told reporters at the Ogle Airstrip that this was of grave concern especially since planes ply routes on the borders daily.

"...this is going to cause us again to tighten the security in aviation but what we have to bear in mind is that this was a domestic flight. This happened in the domestic aviation sector."

Remembering a similar experience with his airline in 1996 by four air pirates, Gouveia noted that this could also affect the tourism industry.

He said that following the hijacking of one of his aircraft in 1996 there was an increased level of security in the domestic aviation sector but apparently not enough.

He said what happened yesterday changes the focus of aviation security.

Gouveia, however, pointed out that domestic aircraft ply many remote areas and it might be difficult to have effective security systems at each point.

"...to think of security measures throughout the length and breadth of Guyana is really worrying", he said.

Guyana experienced the first aircraft hijacking in a dramatic skyjack over the dense Northwest jungles November 27, 1996.

No one was hurt in the skyway robbery of an Islander owned by Roraima Airways Limited by four air pirates.

Captain Frank Rowe and co-pilot Chris Brown were returning to Ogle after picking up five men on a scheduled charter from the Kwebana airstrip in the Northwest District.

The pilots said they were overpowered within seconds and forced to fly back to the Kwebanna landing where they were pitched from the aeroplane. They were safely picked up four hours later.

After dumping Brown, Rowe, and passenger, Kalika Basdeo, the hijackers flew off, heading west in the aircraft Gouveia said cost about US$300,000.

The pilots later recounted that the hijacker who took over the controls of the plane after they were dumped was Spanish-speaking. Of the others one spoke Spanish; one was Indo-Guyanese who spoke English and Spanish; and one Afro-Guyanese.

The pilots said they were held at gunpoint.

The skyjacked Roraima Airways Islander 'Romeo Alpha' was returned here from Colombia in March 1997 where it was found in a jungle lair in December, 1996, by the Colombian Air Force.

The plane arrived at the Ogle Airstrip flown by Gouveia, after an 11-hour flight.

The incident had triggered rising concerns about incursions from drugs rings based in Colombia and neighbouring countries.