Air Traffic Controllers Suspended After Loss of Separation Over Guyana

Two air traffic controllers have been suspended by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority following a loss of separation incident involving international flights over Guyanese airspace earlier this month. The action was confirmed by Guyana’s aviation minister, Deodat Indar, amid an ongoing safety investigation.

The loss of separation, a breach of the minimum required safety buffer between aircraft, occurred in the early hours of February 16 when a United Airlines flight (UAL860) traveling from São Paulo, Brazil, to Washington, D.C., United States, passed through Guyanese airspace near 34,000 feet alongside a Turpial Airlines flight (VTU9905) climbing to approximately 36,000 feet.

Under international aviation safety standards, aircraft should maintain a 10-mile horizontal separation in controlled airspace. In this case, the gap between the two jets narrowed to about five miles, prompting swift action by the GCAA. Although there was no collision or emergency landing, the reduced separation, especially at cruising altitudes, raised safety concerns due to high aircraft speeds that can exceed 480 miles per hour.

Minister Indar said the suspension of the controllers was a precautionary measure as the authority investigates what went wrong and how to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Guyana’s aviation oversight has previously earned praise, he noted, underlining the importance of maintaining public confidence in air traffic management.

The investigation is ongoing, and the GCAA has not released further details about the controllers’ roles or how long they may remain off duty. Safety analysts stress that strict enforcement of separation standards is critical to preventing mid-air conflicts in regions with growing international air traffic.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, demerarawaves.com