President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has ordered a comprehensive review of Guyana’s aviation laws and regulations as the country moves to strengthen safety oversight amid a sharp increase in passenger traffic and international flights.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has been tasked with examining the existing regulatory framework, identifying weaknesses and determining what changes are needed to bring the local aviation sector in line with the highest international standards.
President Ali announced the move on Tuesday while addressing the opening of the ICAO/EASA 3rd Global Regional Safety Oversight Organizations and Regional Accident and Investigation Organization Forum for Aviation Safety at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
“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,” the President said.
The directive comes as Guyana continues to record significant growth in air travel. International passenger traffic has increased by 410 per cent, moving from approximately 205,000 passengers to more than one million.
International flights have also climbed considerably, from 3,170 in 2020 to 8,891 in 2025.
According to President Ali, that expansion brings additional challenges for regulators as the number of passengers, aircraft and operators increases.
He stressed that Guyana’s aviation development must therefore be accompanied by stronger regulation, enforcement and safety oversight.
“That transformation will remain incomplete unless it is matched by an equally determined strengthening of regulation, safety oversight and enforcement,” the Head of State said.
Ali also used the forum to call for greater consistency in aviation standards across the Caribbean, particularly in the security procedures passengers encounter while transiting regional airports.
He proposed that a regional team be established to assist airports in addressing deficiencies identified through international safety audits, rather than countries attempting to correct those shortcomings individually.
“If one of our airports in the region does not meet the standard, it will affect all of us, because we’re interconnected,” Ali said.
The two-day forum, being held under the theme “Optimising Resources through Coordination and Cooperation,” has attracted civil aviation representatives from approximately 60 countries.
It is also the first global aviation event of its kind to be hosted in Guyana.
