Legislation Passed To Increase Membership of Civil Aviation Board

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday (September 15), passed amendments to the Civil Aviation Act to increase from nine to 12, the number of persons, who can serve on the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) Board.

In piloting the legislation, Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, said the JCAA board recommended an increase in its membership, in order to more effectively and efficiently manage its workload, thereby meeting the demands of the global civil aviation community.

He noted that over the years, the range of responsibilities of the Authority has increased.

“This has come about both with the growth of the industry in Jamaica, as well as in terms of the increase in the demands of the global civil aviation community, and the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” Dr. Davies said.

“What the Authority has sought to do is to appoint several subcommittees, but now, the range of activities has made the Chairman, for example, work full time in trying to carry out all the different activities, both local as well as our international commitments,” he noted further.

The JCAA is a statutory organisation within the Ministry of Transport and Works responsible for regulating the country’s aviation sector.

Formerly the Civil Aviation Department (CAD), the Authority was established by the Civil Aviation (Amendment) Act 1995, and became operational on May 1996.

It regulates air navigation and all matters relating to safety and security in civil aviation.

Jamaica, as a member of the ICAO, is required to comply with the standards of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.