– to address sectoral challenges,future of aviation

GUYANA has been chosen to host the first ever International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Air Transport Conference 2018, which will see heads of 192 member states meeting here to discuss challenges and future collaborations within the sector.
The five-day event is billed for November 19 to 23, but was launched Monday evening at the Umana Yana in the presence of local and international members of the aviation community and government heads.
At the launching, air transport was established as a major contributor to global-economic prosperity and crucial to the growth of business and tourism especially in developing countries.

Setting the stage for the evening with his opening remarks was GCAA Chairman, Lawrence London who said that the chosen theme, ‘Promoting Connectivity for Sustainable Air Transport Development’ is an appropriate one.
“This theme must have been chosen to awaken us to the challenges and opportunities of the immediate future in an economy that is on the verge of an unimaginable trajectory to prosperity and the role its air transport must play,” London said.
“Air connectivity is pivotal to unlocking Guyana’s potential for economic growth because of its capacity to attract business, investments and the inflow of trade and qualified professionals,” he added.

IDEALLY SUITED

He said that with Guyana ideally placed geographically to facilitate and make the distance shorter for inter-continental trade and investment to continents such as South America, Africa and North America, the government must continue to put its finances towards the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) which must be able to facilitate the influx of travellers.
Said he: “Today, Guyana is buzzing about oil and gas. This industry, we feel, will do well for this country. However, I feel very strongly that we must not take off the prize. “Air transport and the numerus spin-off businesses must be sustained to keep our economy vibrant.”

Speaking briefly was Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson who said that agriculture, forestry, mining, tourism and social services all rest on the back of air transport system.
She said that because Guyana is mostly covered by dense forests with limited inter-connecting roadways, and given its wide geographical spread, it must depend on air as a means of transport.

As such, she welcomed the upcoming conference, expressing pride at knowing that the high-profile air transport conference would be hosted in Guyana.
Later on during a panel discussion, Chief of Economic Regulatory Framework at the ICAO, Peter Alawani told the audience that the ICAO chose to support Guyana, based on its observation of Minister Ferguson’s support of the initiative, and the potentials which exist in the region.

“Impressed by her participation and zeal, the President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Olumuyiwa Aliu felt there was need to support Guyana, and to place Guyana on the world map and to see how we can further support the development of transport in the Caribbean,” he explained.

In 2017, Minister Ferguson accepted the President’s Council Certificate, which was awarded to Guyana at the ICAO World Aviation Forum, for being one of the world’s most improved states for Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in aviation.

PACKED AGENDA
According to Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field, representatives of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), FedEx as well as the World Trade Organisation and World Tourism Organisation will all deliver presentations at the conference.
The five-day agenda will include topics on: National aviation issues; how Guyana can invest in aviation; harmonisation and the economic benefits; liberalisation of air cargo; stimulation of investment and the promotion of air links between Africa and the African Diaspora.

He, too, attributed the interest shown in Guyana to the works of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in recent years, and the country’s efforts to uphold international standards in aviation.
“Guyana has moved very, very strongly upward in the ladder of compliance with ICAO,” Field said, adding:
“ICAO is looking at Guyana as one of the model counties. This is what the Council and the President have seen, and they see the promise; they see that there are a number of aviation priorities that the government is placing emphasis on, hence the request for Guyana to host this coming conference.”
Responding to a query from General Manager of Air Services Limited (ASL), Annette Arjoon-Martins as to whether there are plans in the pipeline to utilise air transport to develop Guyana’s agriculture sector towards becoming the breadbasket of the region, Alawani said:
“Aviation is the most regulated industry. Even when you have the produce, you also need agreement among states for you to be able to transport those goods.

REMOVING THE BARRIERS
“And that’s why one of the things that will be addressed in this conference is how to remove all those regulatory impediments, to the extent that we can legalise air cargo and the free movement of goods and cargo, not just amongst the region but all over.”

In closing, Alawani, whose purpose for being in Guyana is to assess the country’s ability to host the event, said that based on his observations and interaction with the local planning committee, he is very impressed by the country’s preparedness for the conference.