In a recent development, the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has agreed to the purchase of two Dornier 228 aircrafts from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Kanpur. The aircraft is a twin-engine turboprop, highly versatile multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft manufactured by HAL for the Indian military and coast guard.
Sean d'Silva (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons
During his seven-day visit to India, which began on Jan. 8, President Ali visited six cities – Delhi, Indore, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Agra, and Mumbai. He also participated in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas organized in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore. The President spent nearly two and a half hours at the Transport Aircraft Division of HAL, where he interacted with the officers and saw the CG-767 Indian Coast Guard 18-seater Dornier aircraft and others.
However, there had been concerns in some quarters of the aviation community that Guyana could lose its more than 70 percent safety rating if the Dornier 228 aircrafts were acquired. But Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Retired Col. Egbert Field, has stated that the rating would not be affected. He explained that Guyana would be examining the technical specifications and drawings of the HAL aircraft that Guyana intends to purchase as part of the Type Certificate (TC) granting process. “The way forward for the TC acceptance is cleared,” he said.
The GCAA Director General also said that he has been consulting the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and has had discussions reference their guidance throughout the process. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) already has its own aircraft, registered under civil aviation rules and regulations, rather than military as is done in several other countries.
If acquired, the two 19-seater Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) planes would be used for the movement of troops and supplies to military bases across Guyana, assistance with maritime patrols, and VIP transportation.
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