In recognition of the significant progress made on addressing safety oversight deficiencies and the effective implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in 2016, Guyana was conferred with the Council President Certificate by the ICAO.
A release from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said that the presentation of the award was made at the ICAO World Aviation Forum 2017 held in Abuja, Nigeria, from November 20 to 22, 2017. Minister in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson received the award from ICAO’s President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. Also present at the Aviation Forum was Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field and the Director for Air Transport Management at the GCAA, Saheed Sulaman.
The release said that Council President Certificates are issued once each calendar year and recognise countries for significant progress made in resolving their safety oversight deficiencies and improving the Effective Implementation of ICAO SARPs.
In 2016, after an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) audit, Guyana moved from 44.24% to 64.66% effective implementation of ICAO SARPs.
The award means that Guyana is closer to implementing ICAO’s SARPs, as well as achieving the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Category One status, the release added.
The attainment of Category One status would mean that air operators from Guyana can once again initiate service to the United States, and take part in reciprocal code-sharing arrangements with U.S. carriers.
Other countries receiving the Council President Certificate for their achievement in 2016 were Bolivia, Egypt, Honduras, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Uruguay, Vietnam and Zambia, the release said.
