A pilot for Costa Rica’s Air Surveillance Service is facing possible suspension or dismissal after giving interviews about weaknesses in the country’s aviation-safety oversight system and posting criticism of President Laura Fernández and the government’s management of civil aviation.
David Damazzio Fernández, a pilot with Costa Rica’s Air Surveillance Service since 2017, was notified on September 18 that the Ministry of Public Security had opened a disciplinary proceeding against him. The case was formally opened by the ministry’s disciplinary department on September 7.
The proceeding centers on two issues: comments Damazzio made to the press in May about Costa Rica’s latest international aviation-safety evaluation, and later posts on his personal Facebook account questioning the government over vacancies and management problems within the country’s civil aviation authorities.
The aviation issue dates back to an evaluation by the International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO, which gave Costa Rica an overall score of 61.9% for effective implementation of international aviation-safety oversight standards following an audit conducted in late 2025. Costa Rica performed particularly poorly in several areas of the evaluation, receiving 39.2% for personnel licensing and about 40% for aircraft operations, while organization and aviation legislation also scored below the global averages reported at the time.
The 61.9% overall result also placed Costa Rica below the 75% level established as a 2027 target under ICAO’s global aviation safety plan for a majority of member states. The result should not be interpreted as meaning that commercial aircraft operating in Costa Rica are unsafe or that passengers face an immediate danger.
When Damazzio discussed the audit publicly in May, he said the score itself did not represent an immediate serious safety problem, but argued that weaknesses in regulation and oversight could eventually increase operational risks if they were not corrected. Those comments became part of the disciplinary case.
On May 21, the director of the Air Surveillance Service informed a Public Security vice minister that Damazzio had not been authorized by the institution to speak publicly about matters involving Civil Aviation. The same communication, however, said his comments had been made in a private capacity and under his own responsibility, and that at that point the Air Surveillance Service had not initiated disciplinary proceedings against him.
Four days later, the matter was sent to the Ministry of Public Security’s disciplinary authorities to determine whether Damazzio’s comments could amount to a violation of his responsibilities as a police employee. The investigation later expanded to include posts Damazzio made on his personal Facebook account criticizing the government’s handling of Civil Aviation.
Among the issues he raised were delays in filling positions on the Technical Council of Civil Aviation, known as CETAC, as well as vacancies in the leadership of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The disciplinary proceeding argues that his public statements and social-media posts could conflict with requirements placed on police employees involving conduct, institutional respect, prudence and protection of the public administration’s image.
Damazzio disputes that interpretation and says he was speaking as a private citizen about issues of public interest. He has described the disciplinary case as retaliation and censorship for criticizing the government, but that is his allegation rather than a finding established by the investigation.
The administrative file does not state that the proceeding was opened because Damazzio had previously filed complaints or taken legal action against aviation officials. The formal allegations relate to his media statements and Facebook posts. The case comes amid a broader dispute over the management of Costa Rica’s civil aviation system.
Damazzio has also challenged aviation authorities through formal channels, including disputes involving pilot licensing, while in September he filed a constitutional appeal concerning vacancies at CETAC, an organization responsible for decisions involving matters such as airline permits, routes, schedules and fares.
The aviation-safety audit has added another layer to those concerns because Costa Rica’s 61.9% result highlighted weaknesses in the government structures responsible for overseeing the industry rather than identifying a specific airline or airport as unsafe. For a country heavily dependent on international tourism and air travel, effective aviation regulation is important because the Civil Aviation authority oversees areas ranging from aircraft operations and personnel licenses to airports and navigation services.
If the disciplinary allegations against Damazzio are ultimately classified as serious, possible penalties include a suspension without pay of between one and 30 days or dismissal without employer liability. The proceeding also lists the possibility of being barred for 10 years from returning to another police position.
An oral and private hearing in the disciplinary case is scheduled for November 5. For now, no final decision has been made against Damazzio, and the proceeding will determine whether his interviews and social-media comments violated the rules governing his employment as a police officer.
