Guyana air traffic numbers surging; more passengers expected in 2022 than in pre-pandemic years

– 95% of pre-pandemic numbers recovered as of May

Despite the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyana’s air traffic numbers are recovering faster than the industry average and more passengers are, in fact, expected by the end of 2022 than the pre-pandemic levels.

This is according to Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar, who is currently in South Korea for the Conference on International Air Transport Cooperation.
He stated Guyana’s passenger numbers are on course to increase by 5 per cent this year, compared to pre-pandemic numbers from 2019. This is a turnaround from 2020, when domestic air traffic dropped by 46 per cent.
“In Guyana, international traffic declined by 72 per cent in 2020 and 47 per cent in 2021 against 2019 records but fortunately, we are recovering much faster than the industry, and as of May 2022, we are 95 per cent of the pre-pandemic passenger numbers.”
“And we expect to close 2022 with 5 per cent more passengers than in 2019. Guyana’s domestic aviation sector experienced a 46 per cent and 30 per cent drop in passenger movements in 2020 and 2021, respectively, when compared to 2019,” Indar said.
Indar noted that while the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic is easing in Guyana, cooperation is still necessary to deal with the ever-present threat of climate change. According to the Minister, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) estimates that the aviation sector is responsible for 12 per cent of CO2 emissions from the transportation sector.
“According to ICAO, both international and domestic aviation combined contributes approximately 2.1 per cent of global CO2 emissions or 915 million tonnes of CO2. Without interventions, the impact of aviation on the climate will continue to increase over time with negative effects such as changing weather patterns and increased torrential rainfalls.”
“This will lead to loss of airport capacity and infrastructure due to sea level rise, network disruptions, and adverse effects on aircraft performance due to more extreme temperature changes. We must act now and swiftly! As the aviation sector globally employs 11.3 million people and transports 4.5 billion passengers as recorded in 2019,” the Minister also said.
This year’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) conference is the 7th edition, with the theme being “Leap Forward to Better Skies”. It is held every three years. This year, it is being hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.
Over the last few years, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has identified plans to make Guyana a hub for regional travel as part of its agenda. Last year, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, had said that Guyana has made significant progress towards its goal of attracting and having the capacity for increased regional air traffic.
Investments in this regard have included establishing a State Safety Programme/Safety Management System (SSP/SMS), as well as upgrading the Communications Navigations Surveillance/Air Traffic Management System to improve the performance of the Air Navigation System.
Efforts have also been made to enhance Air Traffic Control monitoring capabilities using the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology at strategic locations throughout the country.
Last year, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field announced that six new airlines are showing interest in starting operations in this country.
Earlier in 2021, reports had indicated that air service providers such as FlyAllWays, InterCaribbean Airways, One Caribbean Limited, JetAir Caribbean, Skybus Airlines, Sky High Aviation Services and Guyana Rotorcraft Services Inc had expressed interest in operating in Guyana. So far, Skybus Airlines, and InterCaribbean Airways have obtained approval to begin operations out the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).