Guyana OK with armed marshals on US flights
-Public Works Ministry
Stabroek News
December 31, 2003
Government will not object to requests once made from the United States to have armed marshals on international carriers plying the New York to Timehri route, an official of the Public Works Ministry said yesterday.
On Sunday, the US Department for Homeland Security instituted new measures under emergency amendments to federal aviation regulations directing foreign airlines to place armed marshals on selected flights.
The North American-registered North American Airlines and Universal Airlines, along with BWIA are the carriers which fly between North America and Guyana.
Communications Consultant in the Ministry of Public Works and Communication, Ajay Baksh, said yesterday that no formal request had yet been forthcoming from US authorities. However, he indicated that the local Civil Aviation Department would be favourably disposed to examining any such request.
Some flights to and over the continental US may be banned if they refuse to comply with the measure. Some 800 to 1,000 flights to the US may be required to abide by the new regulations.
Armed air marshals disguised as passengers are already deployed on thousands of US flights each week.
Several other countries have followed suit including Germany and Canada although Israel has been doing so for years as part of its stringent security measures. (Oscar P. Clarke)