Jamaica Has Enviable Record in Air Safety and Security

Director General of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), Nari Williams-Singh, says the country boasts a first rate air transport system, with an enviable record of safety and security, which it continuously seeks to maintain.

He was addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank held recently at the agency’s head office in Kingston.

Mr. Williams-Singh noted that the JCAA boasts highly skilled, trained and qualified professionals working together to achieve its  mission.

“We seek to provide a safe, efficient and user-friendly air transport system being cognisant of the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of which Jamaica is one of 193 contracting states,” the  Director General said.

He informed that Jamaica is above the world average in terms of effective implementation of international standards and requirements.

He noted that the country also enjoys a category one rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is the highest ranking attainable by a state.

Mr. Williams-Singh advised that the JCAA is a trusted leader in civil aviation administration, holding such coveted responsibilities as the chairmanship of Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System.

He said the flight safety division of the JCAA is an essential pillar of the organisation that provides critical oversight and surveillance activities to ensure the safety and security of the air transport system.

The division is responsible for airworthiness as it relates to aircraft; oversight of safety management systems, aerodromes and air navigation; and certification and licensing of air operators, maintenance providers and  training organisations.

It is also charged with the implementation of civil aviation regulations and monitoring of all operations in aviation safety, security and facilitation, in line with the Ministry of National Security requirements and international standards.

Mr. Williams-Singh told JIS News that JCAA continues to conduct rigorous system monitoring and important preventative maintenance activities.

He said the authority has a well-established contingency plan, which includes the institution of flow control measures to manage the number of aircraft entering Jamaican airspace in times of system challenges.

“We can assure the public that at the JCAA, we never take our safety responsibility lightly and we are always working to improve our systems and their reliability. This remains our focus,” he said.