FAA PROPOSES $1.4 MILLION CIVIL PENALTY AGAINST VIRGIN ISLANDS PORT AUTHORITY
August 20, 2018
On June 29, 2018, the FAA proposed a $1,466,775 civil penalty against the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) for alleged violations of airport safety regulations at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix and Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas.
The FAA inspected both airports in early 2018 and identified numerous safety violations at both airports, including findings that VIPA did not have qualified personnel to oversee airport operations, to conduct required daily inspections or to conduct Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) operations. Additionally, the agency also alleges that the airports failed to maintain and make available to the FAA required records including Airport Certification Manuals, airport emergency plans, and training records for operations supervisors and ARFF employees.
The FAA also alleges that VIPA did not meet the ARFF requirements for air carrier flights at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) after an ARFF unit could not apply a fire-extinguishing agent within the required time and was incapable of performing its required functions.
Structurally, FAA inspectors noted that VIPA failed to properly upgrade the safety area for runways at both airports to eliminate hazardous ruts, humps, depressions and other surface variations. Moreover, the runways and taxiways were not properly lighted, marked or signed and VIPA failed to issue Notices to Airman (NOTAMs) informing air carriers of the runway and taxiway issues at the airports.
Finally, VIPA also failed to confirm that each fueling agent at STX had trained fueling personnel, and failed to take immediate action to alleviate wildlife hazards detected at the landfill near the airport.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
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