By Robert A. Emmanuel
Minister of Aviation Sir Robin Yearwood and the entire Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda have called on the Air Traffic Controllers to undergo their required medical examinations or risk being de-certified.
The medical examination is a requirement under the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which states in part, “none of the aviation licences [such as the air traffic controller licence] can be used for carrying out aviation duties without evidence that the holder of the licence meets the medical requirements for fitness.”
Speaking at the post-Cabinet press briefing, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, Lionel Hurst said the statement by Cabinet was to “light a fire under their feet.”
“It has always been the case that they require medical certificates, but some have been balking. We want to make it public that all the Air Traffic Controllers must take these exams, so they won’t be de-certified. This is important because it takes a lot of money to train an Air Traffic Controller,” he said.