Belize could soon obtain a primary radar to improve its air navigation services. To ensure the acquisition of such critical equipment, the Belize Rural South (the Cayes) Area Representative and Minister of the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, the Honourable Andre Perez, traveled to Madrid, Spain, to sign an agreement for the aviation asset. The agreement was signed at the 250th Ordinary Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Central American Corporation of Air Navigation Services (COCESNA) held on Sunday, March 12th.
According to the Government of Belize (GOB), the new primary radar, estimated to cost US$8.5 million, is expected to significantly improve the country’s control centers and provide the opportunity to modernize air navigation operations. With the new radar, the said services will be safer and more efficient on a regional and international scale.
Accompanying Minister Perez was his Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Carrillo. GOB said that their presence at the official level and signing of the agreement marks a notable milestone for Belize’s aviation sector. The country currently utilizes a secondary surveillance radar system that relies on signals transmitted by equipment on an aircraft to determine its location. With this new primary radar, the process is different. This radar will emit signals that bounce off aircraft to determine their positions. This will even work when an aircraft is uncooperative or involved in illicit activities.
GOB commends this partnership with COCESNA and remains dedicated to collaborating with this organization. The COCESNA board members have also agreed to support Belize in enhancing technical capacity-building and legal reform efforts. Some of these efforts, as per GOB, aim to ensure that Belize’s Civil Aviation Regulations fully comply with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Minister Perez and GOB deem this partnership with COCESNA as a commitment to improving Belize’s and Central American aviation safety and efficiency.
No timeline is set at this time for the delivery of the primary radar.
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