Updated Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 7:22 a.m. by Denis Chabrol
In a landmark enforcement of Guyana’s civil aviation safety rules, a local man has become the first person convicted of unauthorized trespassing on a hinterland aerodrome, just 10 days after national aviation regulators issued urgent public warnings about unsafe activity around the country’s remote airstrips.
Forty-three-year-old Leonard Pompey, an electrician residing in Culvert City, Lethem, Central Rupununi, entered a guilty plea to one count of trespassing on the Lethem Aerodrome, a violation of Section 83(1) of Guyana’s Civil Aviation Act. Presiding over the case at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court, Magistrate Omadatt Chandan imposed a fine of GY$300,000. Pompey will face three months of imprisonment if he fails to pay the penalty within the required timeframe. The charge carries a maximum penalty of GY$1 million in fines and six months behind bars, underscoring the severity of aviation safety violations under Guyanese law.
The conviction comes on the heels of a joint public appeal from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Aviation Operators Association of Guyana (AOAG) calling for heightened public accountability around all national airstrips and runways. The warnings were triggered by a disturbing incident reported in late May, when unidentified actors deliberately placed large rocks across the entire length of the Lethem Aerodrome runway. Regulators labeled the act as an unacceptable threat to aviation operations and the lives of passengers, crew, and remote communities that rely on Lethem’s air link for essential access to goods and services.
Despite the urgent push for improved public safety awareness, a long-standing administrative gap has left required aerodrome warning signs gathering dust in the compound of the former Ministry of Public Works in Kingston’s Wight’s Lane for multiple years. The oversight comes amid a recent government restructuring that moved aviation oversight from the Ministry of Public Works to the newly created Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation.
In the wake of the conviction, the GCAA reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public safety, urging all Guyanese to treat every aerodrome as critical safety infrastructure. The authority asked community members to report any suspicious activity or threats to aerodrome operations directly to regulators, including anonymous reports via the GCAA’s dedicated safety hotline at 608-4222. “The safety of the travelling public remains our highest priority,” the agency stated.
AOAG officials have emphasized that hinterland airstrips face far greater safety risks than major international hubs, making unauthorized activity especially dangerous. Most of Guyana’s remote runways are short, narrow, and unpaved, meaning pilots already operate with extremely limited safety margins, particularly during periods of heavy rain or poor visibility. Every foot of usable runway is critical for safe takeoffs and landings, and even small hazards can drastically increase the risk of a catastrophic crash.
The association says it continues to receive frequent reports of reckless and dangerous behavior across airstrips nationwide. Common violations include motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians crossing active runways while aircraft are approaching or departing; leaving debris, glass bottles, and other foreign objects on runway surfaces; deliberately or accidentally placing stones and other obstacles on landing strips; using active runways as public thoroughfares or shortcuts; causing permanent damage to runway surfaces and shoulders from repeated vehicle traffic, which creates ruts, erosion, and narrows the usable landing area; and even law enforcement personnel using active runways for recreational games.
“While these actions may seem trivial to people who do not work in aviation, they create life-threatening hazards for pilots, passengers, and entire remote communities,” the AOAG noted in its public warning. “A single discarded bottle, loose stone, uneven rut, or unexpected vehicle crossing can cause a pilot to lose control of an aircraft, trigger a propeller strike, blow a landing gear tire, cause irreparable structural damage, or result in a deadly crash. The consequences of these irresponsible acts are often irreversible.”
Beyond the immediate risk of injury and death, such incidents can destroy aircraft valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, disrupt critical regional services, and leave long-lasting economic and social impacts on communities that depend on air travel for access to healthcare, education, and supplies. Irresponsible runway use also drives up operational costs across the entire Guyanese aviation sector: aircraft repairs, unplanned maintenance, flight delays and cancellations, insurance claims, and infrastructure repairs all ultimately raise the cost of air services for the hinterland residents who rely on them most.
