Antigua and Barbuda will next week host what Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) Director General Anthony Whittier described as the region’s largest civil aviation conference, bringing together aviation stakeholders to examine innovation and emerging regulatory approaches within the industry.

Speaking at the opening of ECCAA’s expanded headquarters on Thursday, Whittier said the conference will focus on how regulators and industry participants can adapt to rapidly changing technologies and new forms of aviation activity.

“Antigua Barbuda is hosting the largest civil aviation regional aviation conference next week,” Whittier said, noting that one of the key themes will be innovation and the use of regulatory sandboxes.

According to Whittier, regulatory sandboxes are increasingly being embraced internationally as a tool that allows aviation authorities to safely evaluate new technologies, business models and operational concepts before they are formally incorporated into regulatory frameworks.

He said the aviation sector is evolving rapidly and regulators must be prepared to adapt.

“Aviation itself is changing, and therefore, as we are the oversight body for aviation, we also must change and adapt,” he told attendees.

Whittier pointed to dramatic technological changes over the course of his career, noting that aviation operations once depended heavily on large workshops, paper manuals and legacy systems that have since been replaced by digital technologies and more efficient aircraft systems.

He said ECCAA is increasingly encountering proposals and activities that may not fit neatly within existing regulations, including emerging aviation concepts and recreational aviation activities.

“We can no longer turn them away and say, ‘Well, it’s not in our regulations,’” Whittier said. “What we have to do is use some of the tools of innovation in order to address these things in a safe manner and therefore promote aviation growth and expansion in the Eastern Caribbean region.”

The conference comes as ECCAA pursues several modernization initiatives, including cybersecurity programmes, aerodrome certification efforts, expanded technical training and preparations for an FAA reassessment tied to the region’s effort to regain Category 1 status.

Officials say the gathering will provide an opportunity for regulators, aviation operators and industry experts to discuss how the region can safely accommodate innovation while maintaining compliance with international aviation standards.