Amigoe: Aruban Airport Delays not due to push-back service

Amigoe; January 6, 2006

Delays not due to push-back service

MPA-chairman Willem Vrolijk has some pretty strong comments regarding the air traffic delays.

Leeflang’s comment about the delays in Aruba being mainly caused by bad apron management, the traffic control on the apron, and the service of the push-back trucks that push the aircrafts back and turn them upon departure, is not correct.

Vrolijk had this checked out. He is of the opinion that the delays are not always caused by the air traffic control center in Curacao and if that is the case, it is because the people in Curacao, same as in Aruba, have to work with poor equipment and cannot do it optimum and efficient.

Full Amigoe article:

ARUBA — The delay in Aruba’s air traffic is not to be blamed on the push-back service on the apron of the Aruban airport. According to MPA-chairman Willem Vrolijk, the Antillean minister of Transportation Omayra Leeflang (PAR) is not well informed on this issue.

Her reaction on other issues, like the problems that is going on at this moment, was at once and correct. We cannot say the same about her Aruban colleague Edison Briesen (MEP). Her comment that Aruba is interested in controlling part of the air space that is currently being controlled by Curacao in Mahuma is correct. Briesen has indicated this himself at several occasions. Vrolijk also agrees with Leeflang in her statement that for four years the air traffic controllers in Aruba have been trying to bring the radar’s disuse to the attention of the minister. “We can derive from this that Leeflang wants to tell Briesen that he has to get things straightened out before he starts complaining”, said Vrolijk.

Leeflang’s comment about the delays in Aruba being mainly caused by bad apron management, the traffic control on the apron, and the service of the push-back trucks that push the aircrafts back and turn them upon departure, is not correct. “There is nothing wrong with the apron management. We don’t know where Leeflang got this information from.” Vrolijk had this checked out. He is of the opinion that the delays are not always caused by the air traffic control center in Curacao and if that is the case, it is because the people in Curacao, same as in Aruba, have to work with poor equipment and cannot do it optimum and efficient.