Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, underscored the importance of aviation to CARICOM member states’ economies and called for a collective approach to strengthen the sector.
Edghill made these remarks when he opened the 26th Board of Directors Meeting of the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown on Tuesday.
This was the first in-person meeting for the regional aviation oversight body since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted around the world. Addressing the members of the Board and other attendees, Edghill said, “We have to… appreciate how dependent we are on each other for the success of us all, and… to be able to understand that when one succeeds, we all succeed, and when one fails, we all fail.”
CASSOS, formally launched in February 2009 at the CARICOM Secretariat, Guyana, is tasked with coordinating, establishing infrastructure, and implementing development programmes aimed at standardising regional safety in areas such as licensing, aviation security, certification, inspection, and surveillance.
Drawing attention to the advancement of tourism in the region, Edghill noted that dependence on the tourism sector as a main income earner requires the aviation sector to be on par with international principles, hence the need for the regional sector to be periodically evaluated and brought up to standard. Edghill advised against the need or room for inter-regional competition. “Big brother and main island, small island conversations, there is no need for that, what there is a need for is a collective approach to ensure the standards of aviation in the CARICOM region, in the Caribbean is the highest it has ever been because we must be able to sell our product which is necessary for the sustainability of a lot of our economies in the international market”, he said.
Edghill emphasized on marketing the region as having the best hotels and beaches, and guaranteeing the safety of tourists. “As policymakers, we have to… tell people, when you board flights and you’re coming to the Caribbean, you are doing inter-Caribbean travel, you are in a region where [our] safety record [is very high] and you have nothing to fear…. This can even bring down your cost of insurance, and once you can bring down the cost of their travel insurance you have more money to spend….”
The Minister said that aviation will likely play a key role in helping CARICOM achieve its goal of reducing its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
“Reducing the food import bill requires greater connectivity, collaboration, and safety in movement because the probability increases as we increase traffic”, Edghill said. He encouraged the group to find ways to collaborate in all areas including climate change, food security, and aviation safety. “I want to say to CASSOS…, let us use all our strength for the development of the Caribbean Region, and let aviation continue to be safe and secure, and let us provide a service, second to none, so that this Region would be known for what we do.”
A posthumous award was presented to Margaret Chan-A-Sue, widow of late aviator, Captain Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, A.A., M.S, for his work in the field of aviation in Guyana and the Caribbean Region for over 50 years. Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, A.A., presented the award on behalf of CASSOS. The 26th Meeting of the Board of Directors of CASSOS ends today.
