SANTO DOMINGO.- Just one day after the National Pilots Association said its willing to identify the private aircraft owners who conduct irregular flights, the Commercial Airlines Association (Alarcom) joined the fray and affirms that it warned the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) of the situation in 2007.

The scandal broke after the flight of the small plane that disappeared December 15 with 11 people on board.

In a letter September 11, 2007, Alarcom president Bolivar Batista and secretary Héctor Genao said they’re concerned with the pirate flights of private aircraft and asked to control the practice. "Devoid of any type of authorization, facilities, training, supervision or investment, and often using private pilots, these travel with and normality as if they were established companies."

In the missive sent to IDAC assistant director Iván Vásquez, the Airlines say the pirate flights are carried out without any revision in detriment to the established and regulated civil aviation. They say that through these airplanes flights are being sold below established prices "meaning a totally unfair competition against this association’s members."

Pilots Association president Pedro Domínguez, in a challenge to IDAC director Jose Tomas Perez’s statement denying the existence of pirate flights, said he’s willing to provide proof.

He asked the IDAC to assume its responsibility because it’s very easy to determine any flight that has been carried out. "If Jose Tomas is interested, we’re readiness to give him the names, because from him downward we don’t have any confidence in any official of the IDAC."

Domínguez said illegal flights are being conducted locally as well as abroad, and insisted that "they are out of control."

Airport inspector fired

Yesterday Perez announced the firing of Cibao Airport’s airworthiness  inspector, after verifying misconduct in the flight of the small plane that disappeared December 15 with 11 people on board.

SOURCE: diariolibre.com