–celebrates 56 years of ICAO membership

THE Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Friday last celebrated its 56th year of membership with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), even as the authority was lauded for its stellar work throughout the years.

At a commemoration ceremony which was held at the GCAA’s boardroom on High Street, Kingston, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar commended the staff at the agency for their dedication that has driven the GCAA to have a very good track record.

On the occasion of its 56th year, Indar stated that the GCAA plays a pivotal part in Guyana’s ongoing transformation and development. As such, he expressed gratitude to the management and staff who have worked over the years to improve the standards of aviation in the country.

Indar, during his brief remarks, indicated, “The track record is progressive, it is developing year after year.”

Meanwhile, Director General of the GCAA, Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d), Egbert Field, said that it was only in 2021 that the ICAO President remarked that Guyana was a shining light in the Caribbean, and early last year mentioned that Guyana is being used as a template for the Caribbean region.

Against this backdrop, Field said that Guyana has steadily moved up the ranks of compliance in accordance with ICAO standards.

He revealed that at the last audit, the country was adjudged at 77 per cent in compliance with the ICAO, while the global average was around 67 per cent. He noted that in 2022, the country was judged the number one state in relation to safety compliance in the Americas, which include Latin America, South and North America and Caribbean states. Further, the country stood at number two in relation to air-navigation services.

“That is what Guyana has been doing and thanks to our ministers, as is said in aviation, it is often the political will that must be there in order to move aviation forward,” Field said.

He expressed gratitude for the level of support that the ministry has extended to the GCAA over the years.

Meanwhile, recognising the strides that were made to move Guyana up the ranking, the agency on this occasion chose to honour 17 employees who have dedicated between 20 to 30 and more years to the GCAA.