Delegates from almost 60 countries arrive in Georgetown this week for a two-day forum on how states can share resources for aviation safety oversight and accident investigation. The event opens on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre and runs until September 30.

It is the Third Global Regional Safety Oversight Organisations and Regional Accident and Incident Investigation Organisations Forum for Aviation Safety, organised jointly by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is the host. President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali is expected to deliver the keynote address. The theme is "Optimizing Resources through Coordination and Cooperation."

Attendees will include civil aviation regulators, accident investigators, representatives of member states and regional oversight organisations, technical experts and industry figures. Discussions will look at how countries with limited financial, technical or staffing capacity, which can struggle to maintain every specialised function alone, might pool expertise and resources.

The first day begins with registration from 08:00, followed by the opening ceremony and keynote. Later sessions will cover the benefits of regional cooperation, developments within regional oversight and investigation bodies, and ways for states to delegate specialised functions while keeping their international obligations. The second day will cover recruiting and retaining aviation staff, sustainable financing, partnerships between regulators and industry, and harmonised regulatory frameworks. Speakers are listed from ICAO, EASA and regional organisations in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas, along with representatives of Airbus, American Airlines and LIAT Air.

The forum takes place as Guyana's aviation market changes quickly. Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar told the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Latin America and Caribbean that four airlines served the country in 2020, compared with 16 now. He put passenger growth at about 400 per cent against a 2020 baseline, though that year was heavily disrupted globally by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Government figures show continued demand. The 2026 Mid-Year Report recorded 226,465 visitor arrivals in the first six months of the year, the highest half-year total on record and 12 per cent above the same period in 2025. Daily flights between Guyana and Toronto began in that period, and two cargo carriers entered the market.

Growth has put pressure on airport infrastructure. Mr Indar has said the air traffic control tower at Cheddi Jagan International Airport is to be relocated so the aircraft apron can be enlarged, and that incoming aircraft have at times had to wait for a parking position. He has also referred to a planned new terminal.

At the CAPA summit he invited airlines including LATAM Airlines and Arajet to look at the Guyana market as the government seeks more links with Latin America and the Caribbean. He also raised the possibility of connections between South America and Africa, which could reduce reliance on routings through North America and Europe. No direct Guyana-Africa service has been announced.

At the launch of the event earlier this year, Mr Indar said the issues involve more than regulators and technical specialists, and affect ordinary passengers through safety, efficiency and the cost of air travel.

The forum will examine whether oversight and investigation capacity can keep pace with the rise in traffic. No outcomes have been announced, as the meeting has not yet begun.

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