Aviation regulators, accident investigators and industry leaders from nearly 60 countries will gather in Georgetown tomorrow for the ICAO/EASA Third Global Regional Safety Oversight Organisations (RSOO) and Regional Accident and Incident Investigation Organisations (RAIO) Forum for Aviation Safety.

This is the first global aviation event of its kind hosted in Guyana.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali will deliver the keynote address at the two-day forum, which opens on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are jointly organising the event, and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is hosting it under the theme “Optimising Resources through Coordination and Cooperation.

Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar said the forum is a chance to showcase the country on the world stage.

“We want to make sure that we sell the brand Guyana, and we want to make sure that our people are fully in tune with what is happening, legally, operationally, in the aviation sector across the globe,” the minister said.

The forum will look at how countries can pool their expertise and resources to strengthen safety oversight and accident investigation. This matters most for states that cannot sustain every specialised capability on their own.

Day one will focus on the benefits of regional cooperation and how states can delegate specialised functions while still meeting their international obligations. Day two will turn to workforce development, sustainable financing, partnerships with industry, and harmonised regulatory frameworks.

Speakers include representatives of ICAO, EASA, and civil aviation authorities and regional bodies from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas. Industry voices from Airbus, American Airlines and LIAT Air will also take part.

Guyana hosts the forum as its aviation sector expands rapidly. The number of airlines serving the country has grown from four in 2020 to 16 today. Signed Air Services Agreements have risen from 13 to 27 over the same period.