International Civil Aviation Day: Guyana made significant progress in air transport infrastructure, regulations – GCAA Head

Guyana joins the global community in observing International Civil Aviation Day, under this year’s theme, “Safe Skies and Sustainable Future for All.” In a message marking the occasion, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Egbert Field, emphasised the role of a robust aviation sector in supporting economic growth, social integration and international connectivity. He noted that Guyana has consistently aligned its operations with the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), positioning the country as a regional leader in aviation.
Over the past year, he said that Guyana has made significant advancements in its air transport infrastructure and regulatory framework, including breaking ground on a second terminal at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA); conducting a comprehensive study to optimise the Georgetown Flight Information Region (FIR) airspace; adding numerous new aircraft to the national registry; upgrading infrastructure at Ogle Airport; implementing Standard Instrument Departure (SID) and Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) procedures; signing air services agreements with six additional ICAO member states, expanding the country’s network to over 50 international agreements and entering into Memoranda of Understanding with Cabo Verde and the Dominican Republic to collaborate on aviation initiatives.
The Director General highlighted the development of the Civil Aviation Training School (CATS), which recently earned the ICAO Train Air Plus Accreditation adding that this recognition affirms the school’s capacity to deliver globally accredited aviation training, including virtual programmes that have reached participants across the Caribbean. Field also pointed to Guyana’s recent successes in ICAO audits, with scores of 66.36 per cent under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) and 80.12 per cent under the Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP). These results reflect the country’s ongoing commitment to safety, security and continuous improvement in its aviation sector.
Looking ahead, Guyana plans to launch the ICAO NGAP+ programme, advancing President Dr Irfaan Ali’s vision of establishing the country as a regional aviation hub, the Director General acknowledged the support of the President and Deodat Indar, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, as instrumental in elevating Guyana’s international aviation profile. He also extended congratulations to Onuma Toshiyuki on his election as the new Council President of ICAO. International Civil Aviation Day is observed on December 7 each year.