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Department Responsibilities | BDCA Organization Structure | About Belize

CIVIL AVIATION IN BELIZE

The Belize Department of Civil Aviation is the regulatory and oversight body in all civil aviation matters in Belize. This Department is headed by the Director of Civil Aviation as established in the Belize Civil Aviation Act. He is responsible for all civil aviation matters in Belize. He also serves as an advisor to the Minister responsible for civil aviation in all matters relating to civil aviation. Not only does he influence policy decisions but is often charged with the responsibility of implementing those policies.

After becoming a Contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation in 1991, Belize is obliged to comply with the Standards and as far as practicable, with the Recommended Practices contained in all nineteen Annexes to the Convention.

The Department is made up of the following technical divisions:

  • Personnel Licensing,
  • Flight Operations,
  • Airworthiness,
  • Aviation Security and Facilitation,
  • Air Transport,
  • Aerodromes,
  • Dangerous Goods,
  • Aircraft Registration,
  • Aircraft Incident and Accident Investigations,
  • Search and Rescue,
  • Air Traffic Services, and
  • Aeronautical Information Services.

The main functions of the Department are to ensure the safety of air navigation and to promote and encourage the orderly and economic development of civil aviation locally, regionally and internationally.

The Belize Department of Civil Aviation is a Department presently under the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation. 

The Director is assisted in his duties by his Deputy and a number of technical officers who are charged with responsibilities in specific areas.

These are:

  • Chief Air Traffic Control Officer
  • Flight Operations Inspectors
  • Airworthiness Inspectors
  • Aerodrome Safety Inspectors
  • Aviation Security Inspectors

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ABOUT BEAUTIFUL BELIZE

Located on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America, Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, on the west and south by Guatemala and on the east by the sparkling waters of the Caribbean Sea. Population of Belize is 359,000.

Belize is shaped like a rectangle that extends about 280 kilometres (174 miles) north-south and about 100 kilometres (62 miles) east-west.
Belize is "Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret" since it has spectacular natural attractions and the excitement of discovering these attractions promises both relaxation and the richly rewarding authenticity sought in a genuine Caribbean getaway. Belize is one of the few remaining unspoiled places on earth.

Belize’s Caribbean coast boasts the second largest barrier reef in the world – the Belize Barrier Reef, which is also the longest in the Western Hemisphere.  It is also lined up with hundreds of islets and islands known locally as cayes. Belize is also home to the Great Blue Hole, snorkel and dive locations, hundreds of ancient Maya sites both excavated and jungle-covered are found here not mentioning the lush tropical rainforest with many species of birds, and exotic tropical flora and fauna.

The climate of Belize is of a tropical nature and therefore has the wet and dry seasons. The official language is English with Spanish and a series of other dialects being spoken.

It supports the thriving tourism and ecotourism industries.

The link between Civil Aviation and the well-being of our economy is therefore obvious. The Belize Department of Civil Aviation is responsible for creating and maintaining the safe, efficient and healthy environment that promotes growth in air travel and consequently growth in the Belizean economy. There are 635,000 passengers annually.