Guyana expands aviation ties with France, Panama 

Guyana renewed its Air Services Agreement with France and signed a separate agreement with Panama on Wednesday, further expanding the country’s framework for international air transport.

The agreements were signed at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on the side-lines of the joint International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Third Global Regional Safety Oversight Organisations (RSOO) and Regional Accidents and Incidents Investigation Organisations (RAIO) Forum for Aviation Safety.
Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar signed the renewed agreement with France alongside French Ambassador to Guyana Olivier Plancon.
The agreement between Guyana and France was first established in 1976 and was renegotiated to reflect current international standards and developments in air transport.
The renegotiation process began at the technical level during the ICAO International Civil Aviation Negotiation (ICAN) conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in 2025, and was finalised in July 2026.
The updated agreement establishes provisions covering operational rights, airline designations and authorisations, the application of laws and regulations, commercial opportunities, cooperative marketing, tariffs, aviation safety and security, user charges, and environmental considerations.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt Col (ret’d) Egbert Field, also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Olivier Boulnois, Director for Air Services France.
The MoU accompanies the renewed Air Services Agreement and allows airlines to benefit from its provisions immediately.
There are currently no direct flights between Guyana and France. According to the GCAA, the renewed agreement provides a framework for airlines to access new markets and develop air transport services between the two countries, with potential implications for trade and economic activity.
The signing was witnessed by senior French aviation officials, including Jean-Yves Pieri, Deputy Director of the Directorate General for Civil Aviation; Louis Montassier, Expert – Bilateral Air Services Agreements; and Loic Lespagnol, Traffic Rights Manager, Air France-KLM.
Guyana’s delegation included Parliamentary Secretary Thandi McAllister, GCAA Deputy Director General Dr Saheed Sulaman, and Director General of the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation Alfonso De Armas.
Panama agreement
Separately, Guyana and Panama signed an Air Services Agreement aimed at establishing a formal framework for air transport between the two countries.
Minister Indar signed on behalf of Guyana, while Director General of Panama’s Civil Aviation Authority, Cap Rafael Bárcenas Chiari, signed on behalf of Panama.
The agreement was initially negotiated and signed at the technical level during the 2025 ICAO ICAN event in Punta Cana.
It covers areas including traffic rights, airline designations and authorisations, application of laws, recognition of certificates, code sharing, tariffs, safety, aviation security and user charges.
Under the agreement, airlines will have access to up to sixth freedom of traffic rights for passenger movement and up to seventh freedom of rights for cargo operations.
The expanded traffic rights provide airlines with greater flexibility in serving markets and moving passengers and cargo.
Panama-based COPA Airlines has operated daily flights between Guyana and Panama since 2014. The new agreement replaces the previous reciprocity-based system with a formal legal framework governing air services between the two countries.
The agreement is expected to provide a regulatory basis for the continuation and expansion of air transport services while supporting trade, tourism and other commercial links.
The Panama agreement was witnessed by Air Transport Director at Panama’s Civil Aviation Authority, Alejandro Salas; Parliamentary Secretary Thandi McAllister; GCAA Deputy Director General, Dr Saheed Sulaman; and Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation Director, General Alfonso De Armas.
Guyana established diplomatic relations with France on June 22, 1967, while diplomatic relations with Panama were established on March 16, 1973.
The two agreements come one day after the signing of an Air Services Agreement with Greece and an MoU with the Dominican Republic on aviation sustainability and decarbonisation.