Air traffic into and out of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri resumed yesterday morning after a power failure on Thursday evening caused the diversion of three incoming flights.
BWIA’s BW 467 from Trinidad and BW 431 from Miami and a Suriname Airways SLM 219 from Paramaribo had to be turned back. Around 200 passengers were believed to have been affected by the delays in the arrival of the three flights.
Power was eventually restored to the airport hours after a cross bar gave way on an ageing light pole causing a short circuit in the distribution system to the terminal.
A release from Split Image Public Relations Consultants yesterday said that the outage at around 6 pm caused the airport to lose around 85% of its power leaving most of the terminal in darkness.
The power failure, according to the release, although not affecting the control tower or the runway lights and the arrivals area was of such that “out of an abundance of caution” and security concerns the airport was closed to air traffic.
Personnel from the Guyana Fire Service stationed at the airport were summoned to contain a fire which broke out in a panel board. However, damage to the board was said to be minimal.
Several of the old cross bars, including the one which fell and some of the older posts, were being replaced but due to the recent bad weather this exercise had been delayed.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Communications Consultant in the Ministry of Public Works, Ajay Baksh, said the airlines had been contacted in a timely manner prior to their entry into Guyana’s airspace to allow for alternative arrangements to be put in place.