President Irfaan Ali yesterday called for greater uniformity in aviation safety standards across the Caribbean region, noting that passengers should not encounter different security and safety procedures when travelling between airports.
Speaking at the opening of the ICAO/EASA 3rd Global Regional Safety Oversight Organisations (RSOO) and Regional Accident and Investigation Organisation (RAIO) Forum for Aviation Safety, Ali said regional aviation authorities must work together to identify gaps and develop more consistent standards.
Delivering his address at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, he said Guyana cannot develop its aviation safety standards in isolation and urged regional stakeholders to pool their expertise and resources. “We should put together a team, identify all of the gaps, and have that team work in ensuring that we resolve all issues in relation to those gaps,” he suggested.
He said there was no need for countries to “reinvent the wheel”, noting that some countries have already addressed challenges that could provide lessons for others in the region. He pointed out how the interconnected nature of regional aviation means that weaknesses at one airport can affect other systems. “If one of our airports in the region does not meet the standard, it affects all of us, because we’re interconnected.”
The President specifically criticised the differing procedures passengers can encounter at airports across the region, particularly when transiting between flights.
He said passengers may clear security for travel to the United States at one airport and then simply proceed through a door to another flight, while at another jurisdiction they may be required to go through the entire security process again.
He said some jurisdictions attribute these differences to ICAO standards, but noted that this was not necessarily the case. “We know that’s not true, because we’ve tested it. But you have these different standards applied at different airports.”
He said the differences raise questions about equity and passenger confidence in the regional aviation system. “A passenger must not believe that there are different standards for different airports in the same region. That is not going to build confidence in the system,” Ali said, noting that passengers should be able to expect similar standards and regulations when travelling through airports in the region.
“They must feel that you can travel safer, less hassle, with greater equity across airports,” he said, adding, “Similar standards, similar regulations. That is important. People are always at the centre of what we do.”
Ali said aviation regulators must ensure that their work has a tangible impact on passengers, rather than focusing solely on regulatory functions. He also called for greater regional cooperation through the sharing of information and expertise, particularly within the Caribbean.
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