The Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, commonly called Zanderij, is located more than 40 kilometers from the Surinamese capital Paramaribo. Air traffic controllers were taken to their workplace by helicopter, reports the news site Starnieuws. “That is what we like, that they just go to work, perhaps wearing a face mask, but that there is someone in that tower,” Minister Landveld joked.
To solve the shortage of air traffic controllers, thirteen people are being deployed in training. The Surinamese aviation sector faces more challenges. For example, aircraft certified in that country are no longer allowed to fly to destinations in the European Union. French Guiana helps think about solutions. Landveld travels to that country to discuss the possibilities.