Amigoe (Aruba): Radar main issue of political squabbling. “The radar that for more than ten years is not in working order”

The political battles on Aruba between MEP and all the rest continue to grow. This is turning out to be a regular “Battle Royal”.  This time its the airport radar again. The one that does not work and has not for more than 10 years.

Vrolijk says that the radar currently at the airport, was one of the most modern radars in the Caribbean ten years ago.  The installation does no longer work due to lack of necessary maintenance. 

Seems like a microcosm of many things in Aruba. Hold on a minute Mr Vrolijk I am not quite sure how comfortable tourists would be having Aruban air traffic control being responsible for communication in the landing and taking off of planes. If this anything like the ALE … maybe the radar is better off not working.

Vrolijk says that the radar has indeed worked for information-and advisory purposes.  The air traffic control leaders could now put their international training into practice as a test.  The radar was never put into operation for controlling the airspace.   

Amigoe: September 1, 2006

The radar that for more than ten years is not in working order forms the main issue of political differences of opinion.

ARUBA – The radar at the airport receives full attention again.  Not because it is going to become operational soon, but because of everything that went wrong since the tender in 1993.  Politicians and air traffic controller Willem Vrolijk (MPA) and Minister Edison Briesen of Tourism and Transport and his party (MEP) are the ones in discussion.   

Willem Vrolijk, chairman of the political part MPA, the former member of OLA and former minister of Transport and Communication, has explained in three detailed statements that the current minister of Tourism and transport, Briesen, ‘still doesn’t understand anything in aviation’.  “I have done more in five months as a minister than Briesen did in five years”, said Vrolijk in an elucidation on his statements.

Vrolijk says that the radar currently at the airport, was one of the most modern radars in the Caribbean ten years ago.  The installation does no longer work due to lack of necessary maintenance.  The government didn’t want to spend money on that.  “And there was money, because in the 2004 budget year, minister Briesen gave permission to transfer 1.3 million florins from his ministry to Education.”   There was no adjusted salary scheme for air traffic control leaders and this was one of the obstacles for putting the radar into operation.  The negotiations that started in 1995 were never completed.  Vrolijk accuses Briesen of not keeping his promise to fix the matter as soon as possible.

Vrolijk says that the radar has indeed worked for information-and advisory purposes.  The air traffic control leaders could now put their international training into practice as a test.  The radar was never put into operation for controlling the airspace.   

Briesen was very short with his reaction on Vrolijk’s statements.  He accused Vrolijk of taking good care of his family by providing them with jobs at Setar and at the airport.  He called Vrolijk an opportunist.   He indicated that the international civil aviation organization ICAO will do a control in the countries of the Royal Kingdom in 2008 and that together with the authorities of the Netherlands and the Neth.Antilles, they will make sure we have good infrastructure.   The idea is to put the radar in Curacao in operation this coming October or November.     The airspace above the Neth.Antilles and Aruba is being controlled from Curaà §ao.   MEP never said whether the radar in Aruba will ever be put into operation. 

XX