PERMIT me space in your column to commend the persons responsible for air services to Guyana. It is heartening to see so much air traffic between Guyana and the international community. The scene on the runways of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport this morning (yesterday) was quite remarkable, with at least six major international flights touching down within a one-hour span. Beginning at 09:00hrs EeZee Jet touched down first, followed by Caribbean Airlines, Air Jamaica, RedJet, Delta Airlines and LIAT.
The sight gladdened my heart as I was among those passengers greeted with a slice of black cake and a glass of local drink.
When I left Guyana in the 70s, Guyana Airways Corporation was the national airline of Guyana.  Government had purchased British Guiana Airways in July 1955, but external services were still being supplied almost exclusively by foreign airlines.
However, government’s restrictions on the repatriation of profits in foreign exchange and other circumstances, forced foreign airlines to withdraw their services to Guyana. Only BWIA remained.
GAC, forced to fill the breach caused by government’s actions commenced jet operations to Miami, New York and Toronto in 1979. However, all of its aircraft were leased.
The Government changed in 1992 and immediately revised and relaxed the restrictions imposed by the previous administration.
The foreign airlines began to resume their services to Guyana.
GAC went bankrupt in 2001. Its successors, Guyana Air 2000 and Universal Airlines did not fare well, and by 2005 all was permanently over.
In 2011, while there is still a need for a strong and vibrant national airline, there is no shortage of air services travelling to Guyana: Caribbean AirLines Ltd., Caribbean Star Airlines, North American Airlines, Surinam Airways, TravelSpan, EeZee Jet, Air Jamaica, RedJet, Delta Airlines and LIAT. Thanks to the PPP/C government, I and six members of my family could travel together and arrive home on the same flight.