The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has secured an agreement with the United States of America Transportation Security Administration (USA-TSA) to engage in cooperation on civil aviation issues, GINA said today.
This agreement was signed this morning in the boardroom of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure by Minister David Patterson and US Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway. Witnessing the signing was Minister within the Ministry, Annette Ferguson.
Minister Patterson explained that representation was made for technical assistance for regulatory oversight of Guyana’s aviation and maritime sectors from the TSA, after a meeting with the US Chargé d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt in June of this year.
According to Patterson, such representation was made after the Ministry was informed that the TSA, which conducted regular inspections of airport security at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), had expressed some reservations with the pace at which aviation security matters were being handled by the GCAA. Among the concerns raised by the TSA was the fact that there was only one security inspector.
Patterson noted that the Ministry and the Government saw aviation as a catalyst for Guyana’s economic and social growth, and to this end, the continued partnership between the US and Guyana Governments was necessary for the sector, particularly as it relates to the growth of Guyana’s international aviation activities, chiefly, connectivity between US destinations and Guyana.
Minister Patterson applauded Ambassador Holloway for securing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which he pointed out, would provide support in developing the capacities and expertise in civil aviation security. “It is needed not only for us to satisfy your requirements, but one that will also assist us significantly in meeting [International Civil Aviation Organisation] ICAO Standards and recommended practices,” he was quoted as saying by the Government Information Agency (GINA).
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