Temporary repairs keep P.G. airstrip open

The local airline industry, already hamstrung by the banning of commercial flights into Guatemala, was facing an internal problem today in the form of unsafe conditions at the Punta Gorda airstrip. The airstrip, which provides an important transport link for the people of the Toledo District, has been deteriorating steadily to the point where Tropic and Maya Island Air were considering the cancellation of flights on the grounds of safety. Things reached a flashpoint when the repairing of the runway, scheduled to begin this week, had to be postponed by the contractor until January seventh. The crisis was averted when the Belize Airports Authority General Manager, Joseph Card and the representatives of Tropic and Maya, all agreed that flights could operate safely until the full works could be carried out next month. Doing the job, will be Cisco Construction, the company that has already repaired the Placencia airstrip. The B.A.A. is considering the use of an alternate landing site while the paving is being done but a final decision has not yet been made. According to Card, the new year will also see repairs carried out in Ranchito in Corozal as well as Belize city municipal.