IN THE wake of the dramatic Wednesday mid-air hijack of the small commercial aircraft over the Rupununi, Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Ronald Gajraj yesterday stressed that private aircraft owners were responsible for security checks.

He said they had to ensure that security arrangements were in place not only for their passengers but for their staff (pilots) and aircraft.

"I can understand if a private security firm employed by the Aircraft Owners Association, for example, were to encounter difficulties in the execution of their duties, then the state police stands ready, willing and able to help.

"...but you can't expect, I think it would be unreasonable to expect us to deploy members of a regular Police Force to cover all the occasions and all the flights knowing fully well the state of our resources," Gajraj said.

"I am not saying that we will not provide security and we will not assist with security, but I repeat emphatically so, that the onus is on the private aircraft owners to make arrangements as well for security checks to be done and other security arrangements to be put in place."

Asked whether there was any information on the four hijackers and the purpose of their visit here, Gajraj said his understanding was that they came to Guyana through the legal process.

"They were met and interviewed by Immigration people and they were dealt with in accordance with law by the Immigration people," the minister said.

He said the men "were in Guyana for some time" and it was because of the information the Immigration Department has that "we were able to get their identity and some additional information concerning them".

"The lesson to be leant here is that the private aircraft owners in particular should be more circumspect when it comes to security and security consideration".

Gajraj argued that it was just like someone getting on a mini-bus with a weapon.

"You can't expect the Police to check every mini-bus," he said, pointing out that the "same principle applies" with air travel.

He noted that where state aircraft were concerned it was a different consideration.

"...but you cannot relieve the private aircraft owners (because) they're not doing a voluntary service; they do so at a price and theirs is the responsibility to ensure the safety of their passengers," the Home Affairs Minister said.

"I am not saying that the state doesn't have a responsibility, but the state will be there to give them the necessary support to ensure that security is in place but they have a frontline duty to deal with it (themselves)," he added.

He referred to international airlines, which have internal security arrangements, and if they need assistance, the regular Police Force was there to give such assistance as may be necessary.

Transport and Hydraulics Minister, Mr. Anthony Xavier said the Guyana Government was extremely concerned about the hijacking of the aircraft minutes after it left Lethem.

He told reporters he had already instructed the Director General of the Civil Aviation Department to proceed with an investigation as to "what happened and what caused it to happen".

The minister said he was certain other areas of concern will be raised in the investigation. Xavier said he expects to get this report by today and promised to give an update of the investigation as soon as he got the report.

"I am particularly happy that nothing happened to the pilot and the passengers," he said.

The 13-seater Trans Guyana Airways Ltd. Cessna Caravan aircraft was hijacked just after it took off from Lethem for Ogle, East Coast Demerara. No one was injured in the ordeal in which passengers were tied up and the pilot ordered to fly to Brazil in an ordeal that stretched for almost four hours.

Xavier said he and Gajraj will be meeting the Aircraft Owners Association shortly.

He also agreed that certain security arrangements should have been observed at the Lethem Aerodrome, the largest in the interior, given the nature of international crimes, possession of arms and ammunition and drug trafficking.

He noted that security at the Ogle airstrip has been increased and through the air transport reform programme, most of the airstrips in Guyana will be put in compliance with international air transport standards of which security is a part.

The hijacking "just happened at a bad time," Xavier said.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manzoor Nadir said the skyjacking was not a good sign because immediately other countries will start associating Guyana with Colombia, which is known for incidents of hijacking and drugs-related crimes.

"Certainly it is going to have a negative impact on our tourism industry (and) we have to do some more PR (public relations)," he said.

He noted that security arrangements would have to be beefed up at Lethem, Monkey Mountain, Orinduik and Kaieteur Top.

"We want to ensure the safety and protection of those people who travel to those interior locations", he said.