Electrician fined for trespassing on Lethem aerodrome

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 18:21 by Writer

Less than two weeks after Guyanese were warned sternly against being on hinterland runways without permission, a man was convicted and fined for trespassing on the Lethem aerodrome.

Police said an electrician, Leonard Pompey, 43, of Culvert City, Lethem, Central Rupununi, admitted that he trespassed on the Lethem aerodrome.

After the man pleaded guilty to Trespassing on Aerodrome, contrary to Section 83(1) of the Civil Aviation Act, Lethem Magistrate Omadatt Chandan fined him GY$$300,000 or, in default, three months’ imprisonment.

That law provides for a maximum of GY$1 million fine and six months’ imprisonment.

Pompey was charged after the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Aviation Operators Association of Guyana (AOAG)  appealed to exercise greater care, awareness, and responsibility in and around the nation’s airstrips and runways.

Their warnings and Tuesday’s conviction comes even as aerodrome warning signs continue to languish in the public works ministry’s compound for several years now.

The GCAA urges the public to treat all aerodromes as safety-critical infrastructure and to immediately report any suspicious activity or threats to aerodrome operations to the relevant authorities, or anonymously to GCAA’s hotline at 608-4222.

The safety of the travelling public remains the authority’s highest priority.

The regulatory authority said late last month that it was “alarmed by a deeply troubling incident” in which rocks were deliberately placed across the runway of the Lethem aerodrome, posing a grave and unacceptable threat to the safety of aircraft operations and the lives of passengers, crew, and all persons dependent on that vital regional air transport link.

The AOAG said unlike major international airports, the majority of Guyana’s hinterland runways are short, narrow, and unpaved.

Pilots operating into these locations already work with limited safety margins, particularly during adverse weather conditions.

The association said every foot of usable runway matters, and every hazard introduced onto a runway increases the risk of a serious accident.

The Association says it continues to receive reports of dangerous and irresponsible activities occurring on and around airstrips across the country.

These include motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians crossing runways in front of approaching or departing aircraft; bottles, debris, and other foreign objects being left on runway surfaces; stones, and other obstacles being deliberately or inadvertently placed on runways; persons using runways as public roads or shortcuts; damage to runway shoulders and surfaces caused by repeated vehicle traffic, resulting in ruts, erosion, and narrowing of the usable runway area; encroachment and deterioration that effectively shorten already limited landing distances, and persons including law enforcement officers playing games on active runways.

“These actions may appear harmless to some, but they create serious hazards for pilots, passengers, and communities. A single bottle, stone, rut, or unexpected vehicle crossing can cause a loss of aircraft control, a propeller strike, a blown tire, structural damage, or a catastrophic accident.

The consequences of such incidents are often irreversible. They can result in serious injury, loss of life, destruction of aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars, disruption of essential services, and long-term impacts on communities that depend on aviation,’ the AOAG added.

Beyond the legal consequences, the association says irresponsible use of runways drives up operating costs throughout the aviation sector.

Aircraft damage, maintenance expenses, delays, cancellations, insurance claims, and infrastructure repairs ultimately increase the cost of providing air services to hinterland communities.