On 6 October 2020, Members of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority (AASPA), as well as the listening public, would have heard a report on Klass FM by its host, Mr. Abner Brooks, relative to an issue connected to the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (CJLIA) which took place on 30 September 2020.
Of greatest concern to the Board is to ensure that, when reports touching AASPA are provided to the public via whatever media, those reports are detailed and accurate, so the public can fully absorb and understand all details. The factual background concerning the said issue of 30 September 2020 are that:-
(1) By Press Release issued on Tuesday, 18 September 2018 titled ‘Re: Press Release – Resumption of Night Operations at the CJLIA’, AASPA informed the traveling public that the night services at the CJLIA were restored with some technological changes to its approach due to the equipment installed following the damage caused to the previous technology resulting from the passage of Hurricane Irma on 6 September 2017. For ease of review, this Press Release is attached;
(2) By letter dated 19 November 2018, the Air Safety Support International (ASSI), the Regulator of the CJLIA, made it clear that due to the instituted technological changes to the approach at the CJLIA, some airline operations after sunset would be restricted. An excerpt from the letter reads:
“Therefore, night operations at CJ Lloyd International Airport (CJLIA) may only be permitted in accordance with IFR [Instrument Flight Rules]; SVFR [Special Visual Flight Rules] is not available. The only instrument approach is RNP [Required Navigation Performance] and hence only those operators approved for such a service can make IFR arrivals into CJLIA at night.”
Accordingly, some operators, including those in Anguilla, did not qualify for flights at night. Knowing this fact and to ensure the Anguillian operators were not placed in a disadvantageous position, the regulator sought to conduct training exercises with the local operators. For clarity, it must be known that ASSI, the regulator for the CJLIA, is also the regulator for the local airline operators.
Due to the aforementioned regulated restrictions on night operations, on the date in question, (30 September 2020), AASPA could not permit the landing of this aircraft beyond daytime operations. As set out above, these restrictions have been in existence since November 2018, almost 2 years ago. Therefore, a violation of this restriction would impact the regulatory compliance of the CJLIA’s aerodrome certificate.
The request for landing by the aircraft on 30 September, 2020 exceeded the night time commencement. Night time as defined by the regulations is “the time from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise (both times inclusive), sunset and sunrise being determined at surface level”. On 30 September 2020, sunset occurred at 18:01, therefore, night time commenced at 18:31. The aircraft requested permission to land ‘at about 19:00’. A landing by this aircraft outside the time of 18:31 would have also result in the aircraft being in violation of the same guidance from the regulator.
Based on the above facts, the notion put forward by the host that discretion was not applied is false, erroneous, misleading and troubling. Clearly, there is no discretion, which could have been exercised by AASPA in this situation.
As a public entity, it is always the hope of AASPA to be transparent with all stakeholders, especially the Anguillian public. After numerous emails, telephone calls and text messages on this matter, AASPA had no choice but to respond earnestly to the story laid out on Klass FM. While it is indeed unfortunate, AASPA remains conscious that its mandate is to ensure that safety is the first priority.
– Press Release
