A Caribbean high-level symposium on aviation safety has ended here with delegates urging stronger regional cooperation harmonised regulations and sustained investment in technical capacity as Caribbean states work to strengthen aviation safety and resilience.
The one-day symposium on Thursday, which was by the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (CAO), brings together Caribbean ministers responsible for aviation, senior officials, regional institutions and international partners to advance practical measures to improve aviation safety across the Caribbean.
Guyana’s Public Utilities and Aviation Minister, Deodat Indar, said the Caribbean must move beyond individual national efforts and establish stronger mechanisms for collective action.
‘No country can meet these challenges alone. Cooperation must become a working arrangement. Shared expertise, stronger pathways, timely exchange of safety information,’ he said, pointing to the pressures facing aviation authorities, including limited technical personnel, financing constraints, specialist capacity gaps, and differences in regulations and procedures.
He said that at the same time, emerging aircraft technologies, digital systems, artificial intelligence, evolving security risks and climate-related events are creating new demands for regulators and testing the resilience of aviation infrastructure.
Indar said the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), which Guyana chairs for the period 2026-28, can play an important role in strengthening regional oversight and supporting more consistent implementation of international aviation standards.
The symposium also examining the proposed CASSOS Roadmap and Action Matrix to 2035, the sustainability of civil aviation authorities, regulatory harmonisation and air transport services within CARICOM.
The symposium also considered the financing, implementation arrangements and responsibilities required to translate the roadmap into measurable action. The deliberations supported the Georgetown Declaration on Aviation Safety and a roadmap of priority actions aimed at strengthening cooperation, oversight and capacity across the Caribbean.
CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett described the symposium as ‘a timely gathering’ that focused on ensuring the safety of the connections on which people depend as they engage in business activities; travel through the region as tourists, as students and professional service providers, and as they build relationships across the region.
She reiterated that the symposium considered critical matters for Caribbean aviation, noting that for small island and low-lying coastal developing states, connectivity is not a convenience, it is a necessity.
‘Air transport sustains tourism, trade, investment, emergency response, family connections, and the wider economic and social integration of our Community. Safe transportation is essential for economic activity, and as you’ve heard previous speakers say,
‘it is essential also for social and cultural connections, and community building, within our countries – especially the coastal countries with much larger land areas – people moving, whether as family, students, tourists, artistes coming to do concerts, traders moving goods across the community – we all depend on the vital assumption of aviation safety.’
The said that the symposium was not simply to exchange perspectives, ‘but to fulfil a shared responsibility.
‘We must do all we can to ensure that Caribbean aviation remains safe, resilient and efficient, and that our systems always meet all international standards. Our national civil aviation authorities face increasing regulatory demands, technological change, workforce constraints and financial pressures. For small administrations, these realities reinforce a fundamental truth – regional cooperation is indispensable.’
Barnett said that the Caribbean Community Multilateral Air Services Agreement, which has now been signed by 13 member countries, reflects a collective vision for a more connected Caribbean.
‘However, greater connectivity must be built on strong safety oversight systems. Safety, regulatory confidence and operational reliability are indispensable foundations of an integrated regional air transport market, because a more connected Caribbean must also be a safer Caribbean.’
Barnett said that the Declaration on Aviation Safety provides an important platform for translating our shared purpose into collective commitment and practical action.
‘With a clear roadmap for implementation – defined priorities, strengthened cooperation among our aviation authorities, sustainable arrangements for regional safety oversight, greater investment in our technical workforce, and a shared commitment to deliver measurable progress – there can be strengthened aviation safety and a more connected, resilient and prosperous Caribbean Community.’
Meanwhile, Guyana has signed air service agreements with France and Panama.
In the case of France, the government said the agreement, first established in 1976, has been thoroughly updated to reflect modern international standards and foster new opportunities in air transport.
‘This progressive agreement introduces comprehensive and contemporary provisions covering a range of areas, including the granting of operational rights, airline designations and authorisations, application of laws and regulations, commercial opportunities, cooperative marketing, tariffs, aviation safety and security, user charges, and environmental considerations,’ according to a government statement.
It said that while there are currently no direct flights between Guyana and France, the renewed agreement paves the way for airlines to access new markets, enhance competitive air transport services, and stimulate increased trade and economic growth between the two countries.
In the case of Panama, the agreement was initially negotiated and signed at the technical level during the 2025 ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
‘This agreement is designed to foster greater collaboration in the aviation sector, expand air travel options, and promote increased trade between Guyana and Panama,,’ the statement said, adding that under the new agreement, airlines are granted up to sixth freedom traffic rights for passenger movement and up to seventh freedom rights for cargo operations.
‘These expanded rights will provide airlines with greater flexibility, open new market opportunities, and deliver significant benefits to both passengers and cargo operators.’
The statement said that COPA Airlines, which has operated daily flights between Guyana and Panama since 2014, will now benefit from a formalised legal framework that replaces the previous reciprocity-based system.