Poorly lit hinterland airstrips and incursions by animals among issues raised by local air operators at GCAA meeting

Aug 24, 2025 News

Kaieteur News – Local air operators on Tuesday called on the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to investigate several issues affecting their operations. Among the issues raised by the operators are runway incursions at hinterland airstrips caused by animals, pedestrians, vehicles as well as games being played on the airstrips, inadequate or no lighting on the hinterland runways at night.

The operators also raised concerns about rotor and fixed-wing aircraft operations co-existing at the Eugene Correira International Airport at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Director General of the GCAA Lt. Col. (ret’d) Egbert Field, A.A. along with his team met with the local Air Operators on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, to sensitize them about the ongoing growth and expansion of Guyana’s aviation sector.

The meeting was held at the GCAA Boardroom on High Street, Kingston.

At the meeting, Field acknowledged the issues raised and committed to working with the operators to address them. He assured the operators that the GCAA remains committed to building a safe and modern aviation sector that supports the country’s development and ensures that aviation and security are not compromised.

Meanwhile, the GCAA in a statement outlined the significant expansion of the aviation industry, which will greatly impact aviation operations, and listed key expectations necessary for regulatory compliance.

Affirming that safety and operational excellence remain at the forefront, the Director General called attention to several ongoing projects, including the upgrading of infrastructure at Ogle Airport, new aircraft are being added to the aircraft registry, A study to reorganize the airspace in the Georgetown Flight Information Region (FIR); and Implementation of the Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARS) approaches.

The Director General also noted the immense investments and the numerous initiatives being undertaken to improve the aviation sector’s operations, such as the construction of a second terminal and new taxiways at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport; construction of a new Staff Complex at the Timehri Control Tower compound; recruitment and training of additional staff; online application platform for drone and landing permits as well as preparations for Guyana to host two major international conferences in 2026 – one for the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the other by the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations.

Lt. Col. Field noted that these initiatives align with President Irfaan Ali’s vision for enhancing local content and building capacity within the aviation industry, thus, positioning Guyana as a country with the most modern aviation sector by legislation, regulation, and investments.

Further, the statement said that Col. Field also emphasized that additional staff will be recruited and trained to meet the growing demands of the sector.

The operators who attended the meeting thanked the GCAA for the engagement and updates, and highlighted some of their own recent developments, which include new parking facilities at Ogle Airport; expanded aprons; new terminal buildings; new cargo facility; and the construction of a new hangar facility at CJIA for Jags Aviation.

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Airport, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Hinterland airstrips, Poorly lit

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