– Says safeguards must keep pace with rapid growth
-by Shamiah Grant
President Irfaan Ali is warning that there can be no room for complacency when it comes to aviation safety, saying a single breakdown in standards can have serious consequences.
Addressing the opening of the ICAO/EASA 3rd Aviation Safety Forum, the President says Guyana and the wider aviation industry must continuously strengthen safety systems as air travel expands.
He says aviation may rank among the safest forms of transportation, but its strong safety record cannot be taken for granted.
He says that record has been built over decades through strict standards, oversight, training and a culture that places safety ahead of convenience, cost and commercial pressure.
But the President warned that even a strong record offers no guarantee against future failures.
“A country or an airline can have an impeccable record stretching back for years. However, that record is not a permanent guarantee. Aviation is an unforgiving industry. It takes years to build a reputation for safety, but only one serious lapse in standards to destroy it. A misinspection, an inadequately maintained aircraft, a failure to follow a procedure, an improperly trained crew member, a regulatory authority looking the other way, or commercial pressure being allowed to override a safety requirement can turn an otherwise strong safety culture into catastrophe,” he said.
The safety push comes as Guyana records significant growth in air travel.
International passenger traffic has increased from approximately 205,000 to more than one million passengers, while international flights rose from 3,170 in 2020 to 8,891 in 2025.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar says protecting aviation safety will require countries to work together, share expertise and strengthen their ability to implement international standards.
“So, we have to protect against it. We have to make sure that we work together, we learn from each other, and we advise each other. And that is what this is about. It’s about building partnerships, working together, understanding what is it that is required from ICAO, how to implement them in a country. Everybody here comes from a different state that have varying economic circumstances, varying capacity in the aviation, in the civil aviation side and we are different level of maturity in terms of how we implement those standards,” the minister said.
As Guyana’s aviation sector continues to expand, the message from the government is that growth must be accompanied by equally strong investments in safety, oversight, training and international cooperation.