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Government has granted approval for the Turks and Caicos Islands’ InterCaribbean Airways and Suriname-based FlyAllways to operate the Georgetown route, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill has said.
The minister made this announcement during an engagement with travel agents at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Monday. Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Director General Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Egbert Field also attended the meeting.
“We are engaging new airlines to come to Guyana. We have just approved at the level of Cabinet, two new airlines FlyAllways and InterCaribbean Airways. There are applications of other airlines that we are considering,” the minister said.
Minister Edghill added that the Government continues to engage Virgin Atlantic Airways, a British airline based in England. Virgin Atlantic had first expressed interest in the Guyana route in 2019.
“This has to go now to the next level. I think the next stage is a call [between] myself and the CEO of Virgin Atlantic to see if … could get some accommodation on the way forward,” Minister Edghill said.
Additionally, with the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Minister Edghill said the Government is hoping to attract flights coming to Guyana from the East.
He said the intention is to promote Guyana as a hub for regional travel and international connectivity, and serve as a link between the Caribbean and South America.
“We still want to ensure that we can bring in the wider body jets, carry more passengers with capacity for greater cargo, to being cost down from the economy of scales and perhaps when they get here shuttle them to French Guiana, Brazil, Trinidad back into the Caribbean,” he noted.
Since the reopening of the airport in October last year, more than 60,000 travellers have entered Guyana. That number is expected to increase significantly during the course of this year, Minister Edghill said.Since the PPP/C took office, JetBlue Airways was granted approval and has begun its operations in Guyana. (DPI)
