Open skies agreement signed between Guyana, Colombia

…as Govt commits to fast-tracking similar agreement with Nigeria

The Government of Guyana on Wednesday signed an open skies agreement with Colombia, while also promising to fast-track the signing of a similar agreement with Nigeria that has been in limbo since 2014.

The signing of the agreement between Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Colombian Civil Aviation Authority Director Jair Orlando Fajardo took place in the Colombian city of Bogota, where they are attending the 13th International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation (ICAN2021) event.
According to a statement from the Ministry, the open skies Air Services Agreement with the Republic of Colombia is designed to promote and facilitate airlines to operate air services between the two countries, as well as other countries.
Presently, there are no direct flights between Guyana and Colombia, despite the two countries having established diplomatic relations on December 18, 1970. However, this agreement puts in place the legal framework that opens market access for airlines to operate and enhance competitive air transport services, trade, and economic growth between the two countries.

The agreement includes standard articles such as Grant of Rights; Designation and Revocation; User charges; Recognition of Certificates and Licences, Tariffs; Commercial opportunities and fair competition. According to Edghill, the agreement is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to increase Guyana’s connectivity with the rest of the world.
“In this agreement, we have agreed to remove all restrictions on market access, capacity, frequencies, and pricing to create for a more open market and to give route rights to our respective airlines,” Edghill said.
One part of the agreement facilitates acceptance of the ‘Principal Place of Business’ as a means of designating an airline. This is in contrast to the traditional but restrictive requirement of substantial ownership and effective control by nationals of either country.
This means that any airlines set up between the two countries could benefit from foreign share capital and investment, once they establish their main economic and operating base in either Colombia or Guyana. The Principal Place of Business condition for airline designation is now a common inclusion in air services agreements and creates advantages for small states with limited capital or financial resources.
The signing of the agreement with Colombia follows on the heels of bilateral talks President Dr. Irfaan Ali had held with Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. During those discussions, the two Heads of State had agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and technical cooperation.
Consistent with the Government’s model of open skies agreements, the agreement is also in line with the more than 50 air services agreements Guyana has established with other ICAO States for the development of the airlink among States.

Nigeria
Meanwhile, Minister Edghill also held discussions with Nigerian Aviation Minister Senator Sirika Hadi at the ICAO event, which is being held from December 6 to 10. Among the matters they discussed were tourism, aviation, infrastructural development, and strengthening bilateral relations.
Coming out of that meeting, the two Ministers agreed to expedite their respective internal procedures to allow for the signing of an air services agreement between the two countries that was negotiated since 2014.
The agreement, which is to promote and facilitate airlines of both countries to operate and connect the two continents, is intended to open opportunities for greater socio-economic benefits between the citizens of the two countries and their respective economies.
Guyana has been on a mission to upgrade its aviation facilities with a view to becoming a regional hub for air travel. And on the occasion of International Civil Aviation Day, Edghill had declared that Guyana has made significant progress towards becoming such a hub.
According to Edghill, the expectation is that modern facilities and services would be available to match this growth in aviation traffic, particularly at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
International Civil Aviation Day was celebrated on December 7 under the theme “Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development”.