General Equipment (GE) will supply a regenerative runway sweeper, identical to this unit, for use at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. (Picture by Winston Oudkerk) Government yesterday signed an agreement with General Equipment (GE) Guyana Limited to supply a regenerative airport runway sweeper to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.

The machine will be used to keep clean and free of foreign objects the main runway, 06-24, the secondary runway and the taxiways and aprons of the airport.

The sweeper costs US$119,370 (approximately G$23.8M) and is being acquired through an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan for the Guyana Air Transport Reform Programme.

The agreement to acquire the sweeper is only one component of the Air Transport Reform Programme, an aviation official said yesterday.

When the sweeper is put into commission within the next three months, its function will serve to significantly enhance the safety of aircraft using the runway and other facilities of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

Ms Elisabeth Austin, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works (centre), hands over a copy of the signed agreement to Mr. Renger van Dyke of General Equipment (GE), the agency that will supply the airport runway sweeper. Also in photo (from left) are: Mr. Doodnauth Sharma of the Civil Aviation Authority; Mr Leon Romero, Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri; and Engineer Mrs. Vanessa Gernett-Nedd of the Air Transport Reform Programme. (Picture by Winston Oudkerk) At present, the runway is being cleaned manually. The official explained that jet engines operate by ingesting air, and if foreign objects are sucked into them, this could result in severe damage, and would also put at risk the lives of the passengers. The sweeper unit will be fitted with a magnet to enable it to attract metal objects from the surfaces of runways and aprons. During yesterday’s signing ceremony, the airport’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Leon Romero said that although runway sweepers may appear to be very simple pieces of equipment, they are extremely vital to airports, whose first requirement is safety.

The IDB loan covers several other components of work including the runway overlay, which was recently completed as part of the Air Transport Reform Programme.

The airport’s CEO disclosed that during the second quarter of this year work would be resumed to upgrade the taxiway lighting. The apron will also be expanded to accommodate two more aircraft.