The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

SKY Bahamas CEO Captain Randy Butler yesterday cautioned the government over the proposed licence control regulations for small-craft pilots, claiming the new rules only “over-regulates” an over-taxed industry currently fighting for survival.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Capt Butler, pictured, cautioned Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar over the proposed regulations, insisting that the current regulations schedule already addresses the issues of “hacking” and illegal flight services.

Capt Butler said the issue with the current schedule continues to be the lack of enforcement.

He accused Mr D’Aguilar of overreacting, saying his lack of expertise in the industry was showing.

“So your reaction to everything that has happened in recent months is to present a new list of regulations that does basically the same as the current list,” said Capt Butler. “The issue isn’t a lack of regulations, the issue is a lack of enforcement.”

On Tuesday, Mr D’Aguilar said the new regulations would restrict a pilot’s ability to classify flights as commercial or leisure, with that decision being made primarily by aviation representatives.

Mr D’Aguilar also said the proposed regulations will institute a service threshold that would automatically classify flights transporting a predetermined number of passengers..

Addressing these plans yesterday, Capt Butler challenged the Freetown MP to make clear how the current regulations fail to address the issues being raised.

“All this panic is for nothing, let’s be honest here. All you are doing with these plans is policing an already policed area. The police are out, there is just no enforcement. This proposal only over-regulates the industry.”

The current penalty for “hacking” is a fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to two years,  in addition to the seizure of the aircraft.

According to Capt Butler, this punishment alone, if enforced, would send “shock waves” throughout the industry.

“See, this is my problem, the laws are already clear,” he told The Tribune.

“I am certain if you enforced them, the hackers would eliminate themselves.

“But now you’re running around screaming about doing more. All this is, is making it tough for legitimate operators that already follow the rules and operate within the correct channels,” Capt Butler said.

“We have operators that complete the correct paperwork and sign the right authorisations, now you are going to ask them to do more? They already have to check-in with operators at multiple points, now they need to have someone out on the tarmac to look in the plane and say whether they believe the persons on that plane are being truthful about why they are there?

“Some of these pilots have customers that come to the Bahamas and want to see as many of our Family Islands as they can. These small aircrafts provide that possibility. Now, all of these new regulations will force more fees and expenses on them,” he said.

“You can’t do that. You can’t break it all down like this. The industry is already over-taxed and fighting for its survival. The industry is already over-regulated. If the regulators just do what they’ve been hired to do, we can truly say goodbye to hacking.”

“This isn’t something the minister has any expertise in and it is showing. He is overreacting,” he added.

Capt Butler’s sentiments yesterday were similar to what he shared back in January in the wake of a plane crash that killed six people near Andros.

At that time, Capt Butler told The Tribune that while existing regulations governing the industry may be stiff, they were being inadequately enforced.

He suggested then, that at least 28 planes operated illegal charters each day.

A number of certifications and licences are required before a commercial flight can take off, including an aircraft airworthiness certificate, valid airmen certificates which relate to the physical fitness of a pilot and aircraft maintenance licences, among others.

According to Mr Butler and many other industry insiders, many of these regulations are often overlooked or bypassed at airports in small Family Island communities.