PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar yesterday said that aviation plays a very important role in any economy and for the continued development of the sector there must be investments.

The President also pointed out that the aviation sector plays a very critical and meaningful role in the development of the country and as such must be positioned to advance development in the mining and agriculture sectors.
The Head of State was at the time addressing mostly aviators and friends of the aviation sector at a brunch to mark the 100th anniversary of the enactment of the first flight in the Guyana skies while this country was still referred to as British Guiana.
The Guyanese leader noted that there is so much that Guyana can capitalise on pointing to vast land and fresh water available in Guyana and the ability of this country to contribute significantly to the food security not only to the Region but the world at large.
In addition, once that aspect is catered for and the local aviation sector is a buzzing one then it means that Guyana will have at its disposal the food for the world and the means of transporting same to the various destinations which means economic benefits to the nation.
An expanded aviation sector, the president pointed out will also see the need to effectively service the mining communities which are already buzzing with activities due to the record numbers of discovery of precious minerals.
Mr. Ramotar also called for there to be a diversification of the aviation sector as it positions itself to deal with the expansion of the other sectors.
The president also mentioned that Guyana has yet another advantage of gaining the attention of the world on a positive front.
He spoke to the strategic geographic location of Guyana which is on the northern section of South America.  And while some say this creates a hub for the South American nations, it is more a position where Guyana can become the hub of aviation activities for countries both to the North and South of the Americas.
Mr. Ramotar said that such a move can see Guyana becoming a linkage between those two continents. It is because of those prospects and expectations that the Government of Guyana is investing in the aviation sector, the President added.
On Saturday, one day before the observance which took place yesterday, Guyana saw the sod turning of the sod which will see works commencing on the expansion of the country’s main airport.
Later on Saturday there was also another sod turning, this time for the construction of the head quarters of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority at Ogle, East Coast Demerara and which is expected to cost the government some $200M.
He stated that in the past Guyana has received interests and offers from companies and countries alike to land aircrafts at our main airport but those interests had to be turned down because of the inability of the runway of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to accommodate the size of the aircraft.
The President used the occasion yesterday to express gratitude to all those serving presently in the aviation sector and those who have served and are now retired. He also paid respects to those who have fallen.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister, Robeson Benn spoke to those gathered on the role that Guyana played in the aviation sector in the earlier years.
The minister told the gathering that Guyana was used as a hub for several air travels and served as a transit point for several purposes.
Benn said that this country was used for the setting up of several bases for British and Americans who wanted to ensure the security of aluminium which is used for the making of aircrafts. He added that much of the bauxite from which aluminium is obtained came from Guyana and that is what led to the Land Lease efforts between the British and Americans.
In his address Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulfikar Mohamed explained that the development of the Guyana’s aviation capacity continued in the 1950’s and 1960’s with the input by the government.
Mohamed said that the sector has really been developing over the years and credited the past members of the aviation sector as the backbone of the industry not only serving Guyana but many countries further a filed.
The event yesterday saw President Ramotar being presented with a brand new model of the first aircraft which flew in Guyana around Georgetown.
Also part of the event was the landing of two choppers on the Homestretch Avenue on Homestretch. The choppers belonged to the Guyana Defence Force and the Air Service Limited.