-since launch of Barbados/Guyana flights
SINCE the launch of its flights between Barbados and Guyana, REDjet, the Caribbean’s first low fare airline, has recorded “incredible results” owing to the support received from the Guyanese market. REDjet’s Director of Business Development, Robbie Burns made this disclosure last week, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal.
He said: “Since the launch of the service from Barbados to Guyana, within four weeks we have achieved all of our targets for the first quarter, the route has grown 25 percent.”
In addition, Burns explained that figures suggest that since the airline’s induction, there has been a marked increase in the overall number of persons travelling between the two countries.
This, he attributed to the low airfares now available to the travelling public. “As we said, we are here to grow the market and we are seeing that, we surveyed passengers flying on REDjet and we found that 68 percent of them would not have flown otherwise and that the low fares stimulated them to fly, already we have seen 25 percent more persons flying between Barbados and Guyana and we have seen very strong passenger numbers for REDjet.” Burns disclosed.
According to the Business Development Director, these figures highlight the huge potential that exists for travel around the region since a lot of Guyanese in Barbados are returning home for the first time in years.
Because of this increase in exposure, Burns announced that REDjet would be collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce to further promote Guyana as a destination of choice.
He noted that the country has a great amount of potential and will indeed be offered as a unique brand of tourist attraction.
“We are also working with the Ministry of Tourism to promote Guyana as an adventure capital for the Caribbean,” Burns stated.
REDjet, the Caribbean’s first low fares airline was officially launched in Guyana in April of this year and their inaugural commercial flight arrived  at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) from Barbados on May 10, 2011 with 149 passengers on board, including top REDjet officials and representatives of the Barbadian Government.
The Airline was initially set to launch flight to three destinations, Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica, however, the approval to begin operations Trinidad and Jamaica have been delayed.
As to the effects of these delays, Burns emphasized that the company will continue to work through the delays.
“Ultimately we will be able to fly into these territories,” he affirmed. (CHEVON SINGH)