By The Star Staff
Designated Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez announced Monday that, after two years out of service, the department’s Cessna Caravan 208D aircraft will resume its flights this Wednesday with a mission to transport personnel and supplies to the Mona Island Natural Reserve.
The aircraft, purchased in 2004, was inactive due to an engine failure. Quiles said the installation of a new engine, at a cost of $365,000, will extend the useful life of the aircraft by at least a decade.
“After two years, the Cessna Caravan 208D is finally back in operation,” the DNER secretary-designate said in a written statement. “This Wednesday it will transport security guards, biologists and supplies to Mona Island for the rotation of personnel.”
The DNER acquired the Cessna Caravan 208D for $1.4 million, and with the new investment in its engine, the estimated value of the aircraft rises to $1.8 million. The aircraft, based at the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in Isla Grande, will serve to reinforce the capacity of the DNER in emergency missions and transport of personnel to hard-to-reach areas.
Quiles said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will use the aircraft to fly around Mona Island to assess damage caused by Hurricane Maria and coordinate the rehabilitation of the nature reserve’s facilities.
“Modernizing and updating the DNER is one of our priorities,” Quiles stressed. “Having an operational aircraft allows us to respond to emergencies, facilitate the work of the staff and improve the response capacity on Mona Island and other protected natural areas.”
The official added that in the coming days he will provide details on the DNER’s hangar rehabilitation plans.
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