President orders review of all aviation laws

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has directed the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority
(GCAA) to review all of Guyana’s aviation laws and regulations.

The review will identify gaps and bring the country in line with the highest international standards as air traffic grows.

The president announced the directive on Tuesday at the opening of the ICAO/EASA 3rd Global Regional Safety Oversight Organizations and Regional Accident and Investigation Organization Forum for Aviation Safety in Georgetown.

“Whatever we need to do to work backwards to reach those standards, we must invest in doing it so that we are at that standard,” President Ali said at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

He said the review comes as Guyana’s aviation sector expands rapidly. International passenger traffic has grown by 410 per cent, from 205,000 to more than a million.

International flights rose from 3,170 in 2020 to 8,891 in 2025.

The president said more aircraft, passengers and operators bring greater complexity.

He said that complexity demands trained inspectors, rigorous certification and a culture in which compliance is non-negotiable.

“That transformation will remain incomplete unless it is matched by an equally determined strengthening of regulation, safety oversight and enforcement,” he said.

President Ali also called for fair, consistent standards at airports across the region. He said passengers now face different transit security procedures from one airport to the next, which undermines confidence in the system and can make it seem discriminatory.

“Regulators mean nothing if people don’t see the effect of your work. If people can’t feel the effect of your work, then they will judge you harshly,” he underscored.

He urged the forum to form a regional team to help Caribbean airports close gaps identified in international safety audits, instead of each country working alone.

“If one of our airports in the region does not meet the standard, it will affect all of us, because we’re interconnected,” he said.

The two-day conference is themed Optimising Resources through Coordination and Cooperation” and is the first global aviation event of its kind hosted in Guyana. Civil aviation authorities from about 60 countries are attending. [DPI]