In view of the hijacking of a Trans Guyana aircraft to Brazil on Wednesday we asked the man/woman-in-the- street to share their views on who should be responsible for aviation security for domestic flights. Their views follow.

Gordon Plass - self-employed: 'Since the collapse of the World Trade Center and as recent as the stabbing of a pilot in mid-air by a young reporter security measures should have been tightened especially in hinterland locations. All airstrips throughout the length and breadth of the country need some security. There is none at so many hinterland airstrips. Not only at Ogle and Timehri. All parties have to be blamed for what has happened, the government and the operators themselves must be held culpable. The Civil Aviation Department must bear the brunt of what has happened. It needs to ensure that aircraft operators comply with existing rules and regulations. Because of what has happened I do not even think that passengers should want any hand luggage and whatever they carry in their hand must be thoroughly searched. Airlines would have to make provisions for this. It is a serious situation and people now fear for their safety when flying. Foreigners and smugglers are aware of our weaknesses and as such will take advantage of them. They will use our unprotected remote airstrips for their illegal activities and clearly from past experiences this is what they have been doing.'

Madan Mohan Singh - auto-mechanic: 'The owners of aircraft must provide their own security. It is their business. They must have their own internal security. This is in addition to what the state has a duty to provide. Their security personnel must also be vested with the authority to arrest as supernumerary constables. Wednesday's experience tells us that nothing much had been done since the young woman stabbed the pilot in his back just nine or ten months ago. Do we have to wait for somebody or persons to lose their lives before serious measures are taken. Aircraft owners have the right to ensure the safety of persons travelling on their aircraft. In the interest of national security all airstrips also need to be monitored by the military or the police. We just can't have them sleeping in barracks only. There is no doubt that with our borders opening up there will be need to have better security measures put in place.'

Chanderballi Joseph - ex-military: 'Security is very much lacking in all hinterland aerodromes apart from Ogle and the Timehri International. There is need to properly register local and even foreign passengers travelling to and from hinterland locations. Look at the aircraft that landed at Bartica. No one could say publicly today who burnt it and why. When travelling especially in border locations all travellers including Guyanese should walk with some valid sort of identification. Security checks should be a must when boarding a plane. If these men who hijacked the plane had been given a security check just before entering that aircraft, they would have picked up the guns. If not all four at least one or two. Airline operators need to work closely with government and whichever ministries or regulatory bodies are responsible to deal with this issue of aviation security. I am happy that the pilot and passengers were not harmed but at the same time the hijackers must be caught. My gut feeling is that these men were involved in the smuggling of illegal items. Could be one of anything.'

Belina Charlie - former South Rupununi resident: 'For the longest while I had the feeling that there is need for some or better security measures taken to avoid the kind of hijacking that took place on Wednesday. I recall recent travel by plane at Lethem. No one checked my handbag. No one checked to see what I had in my pockets. They just weigh the bags. They don't even ask questions like if you have knife in your bag or gun or anything. This needs to be done especially with so many Brazilians crossing the border with guns and other foreigners visiting the Rupununi for tourism purposes. Yes the guns come from across the border. We don't have them to sell in the Rupununi. Government including the military and police, aircraft owners and local businessmen need to secure the Lethem area especially with the bridge and road from Brazil to Georgetown.'

Adrian Cole - youth leader: 'Since Captain Gerry Gouveia's plane was hijacked, I think that the Civil Aviation Department should have gotten together with the stakeholders and insisted on some heightened security, especially at airstrips in the hinterland. What is the point in improving security at Timehri while Ogle and all the other airstrips function with no scanning facilities or security checks. That is defeating the purpose and the hijacking of the Trans Guyana aircraft to Brazil is just one example. It is a known fact that the lack of security at hinterland airstrips is our Achilles heel. If the private operators are not observing safety standards and regulations then the Home Affairs Minister ought to get law enforcement to do their jobs... that is they should ensure that the operators do what they are supposed to do. It is easy to absolve oneself of responsibility for what has happened but government has the task of ensuring national security and this will include aviation security. The operators also have their task.'

Prince David - teacher: 'Aircraft owners ought to have in place adequate security measures for all passengers. They ought to ensure that whoever boards a plane will not endanger the lives of other passengers. We need proper security for the prices we pay to travel to the interior. They could employ private security services or train their own people to do the job. The operators need to train their people to do security checks after all it is their investment. However this matter of security is not only a matter for one entity as all in the business need to take responsibility. For instance the Civil Aviation Department should not let up with the operators and allow passengers to be exposed to the vagaries of the aircraft operators. Who will lose in the long run? The police should only come up as a back up in the event that the aircraft operators' security measures fail or they need assistance.'

Jacqueline Charlie - former South Rupununi resident: 'I saw the report of the hijacking on television and it was shocking even though I should not have been so surprised because there is no proper security on the Guyana/Brazil border as far as I am concerned. I am concerned because I am from the Rupununi and I know that with the opening of the borders to cross-border travel and trade things will get worse if security measures are not taken seriously. How did the four hijackers pass with the guns if they had come across the border with them the day before they hijacked the plane? If not how did they obtain the guns at Lethem if not from Brazil? This incident has left me feeling very insecure about travel. I think we also need security and immigration checks at Kurupukari and at Mabura because people cross the borders not only at Lethem. Our borders are virtually unprotected so that security checks should be made at other locations as well. The one time I travelled by plane from Lethem I was not checked.'

'Archie' Naitram - refrigeration technician: 'Based on the reports I have read and seen I don't think that the hijackers meant to harm the passengers. I just think they wanted a free flight to get home. However, we need to beef up security at Lethem and other interior locations. I mean travel by air does not seem so safe anymore. After the young woman stabbed the pilot in mid-air earlier this year there was so much hullabaloo about security. What must happen next before someone else decides to do something more drastic like the September 11 disaster? Probably passengers should not be allowed to travel with any hand luggage and if they do they must be exempted for some particular reason. Buying a plane and maintaining it is not easy either. We need to cherish what we have. Travel must be made safe again.'