GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The rescue and firefighting capacity at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport has been downgraded by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). However, the GCAA says the airport remains safe.
According to Demerara Waves Online News, GCAA Director-General, Retired Lt. Col. Egbert Field, declined to provide any information about the recent downgrade in that category to number five, citing the need to ensure the confidentiality of all inspections.
However, Demerara Waves Online News cited trusted sources who stated that the CJIA has been downgraded from category eight to category five due to limited fire tenders and personnel assigned to that airport.
Based on the GCAA’s own benchmarks, category five indicates the availability of 8,100 liters of water to support Level A foam. The ICAO says that Level A foam must be able to extinguish a hydrocarbon fire in an area of 2.8 m2.
Before the downgrade, before the expiration of the certification at the end of September 2025, the CJIA’s rescue and firefighting capacity had enjoyed a category eight rating that would have allowed for the provision of at least 27,300 liters of water to assist Level A foam in putting out a hydrocarbon fire in the same area.
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