Following the unexpected closure of the runway at the Sangster International Airport, which led to hundreds of passengers being stranded due to flight delays and cancellations on Thursday, August 10, the island’s aviation regulator and operations oversight agency have commenced safety audits of both international airports.

This after Transport Minister Daryl Vaz issued directives to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) and the Airport Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) to undertake and complete an operation safety audit and assessment of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, and the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, by August 31.

“The aviation industry has absolutely no room for error and what transpired on Thursday (August 10), is simply unacceptable,” Vaz said.

The transport minister met with the president of the AAJ, Audley Deidrick, and acting director general of the JCAA, Rohan Campbell, as well as the airports management team from Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, along with other stakeholders in the aviation and tourism sectors on Sunday, August 13, where a preliminary report on the incident was given.

A more detailed report is set to be provided upon completion of the audit, which will be supervised by an independent aviation expert team led by JCAA’s chairman, Colonel Oscar Darby.

Amid the fallout from the unexpected closure of the main airport’s runway, the minister called for more stringent oversight to ensure a similar incident does not recur.

“The situations at our two international airports, for different reasons, have the Jamaican people concerned and we have to work overtime to regain the confidence of our people and customers,” Vaz said.

Vaz also requested a report from the contractors carrying out the upgrading works at the SIA, Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure Limited.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett the said recent incident is a major setback and will require the Government to rebuild confidence among the Jamaican population.

“Undoubtedly, the occurrence of the 10th has created a setback and the Jamaican Government now has the responsibility of building back the confidence of our stakeholders and the public,” he said.

MBJ Aiports Limited, operator of SIA, initially said that the temporary closure of the runway was due to issues with the ongoing construction work. The transport ministry later said that the sudden closure was due to equipment failure.

According to a report from the airport operator, more than 70 flights were affected between August 10 to August 12.

Acting director general of the JCAA, Rohan Campbell, has since confirmed that it will be conducting the safety audits and assessment of the two main international airports.

“As a normal course of action, a safety investigation is triggered for occurrences, which impact aviation safety,” he said.

GAP is also set to conduct an independent assessment of the incident and signalled that it is prepared to address issues of compensation in relation to both airline and passengers. The Mexican airport operator headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico, has also indicated that it is ready to collaborate with the government on its independent assessment.

The total losses from taxes and airline fees are still being calculated.