THE experience by EZjet passengers which saw them being given several empty promises in the latter part of 2012 when the airline was heading downhill may never be forgotten.

In December the airline’s acting Chief Executive Officer, Rosalinda Rasul had assured passengers both stranded and those who were awaiting refunds that there was no need for panic as there was enough money in the bond to cover all expenses and refund passengers.
On Thursday those hopes of full refunds and no need for panic were dashed when Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn announced that it is likely that passengers may very well have to settle for part payments on their refunds.
This is to facilitate the covering of all expenses racked up by the airline including fees to the Civil Aviation Authority and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The minister stated that while he could not say what percentage of the total amount owed to each passenger will be granted there is not enough money to guarantee all passengers their full refund.
Asked about the possible refund commencement date, Benn said that he could not pronounce on that at the moment since the list for those to be refunded was still being scrubbed and double checked.
On Friday this publication unsuccessfully tried several times to contact the former Chief Executive Officer, Rosalinda Rasul for a comment on the new development and the announcement by the minister.
In the latter part of 2012 there was high definition drama at the Georgetown office of the EZjet airlines after an announcement was made that the airline’s operational licences had been revoked. That move was first taken by the United States. That action was replicated by the Canadian government and later the Guyana government.
The three destinations were considered the main routes operated by the airline.
After trying in vain to keep the airline afloat and several unsuccessful attempts to have the airline return to the skies, its then acting CEO announced that there was no coming back for the airline and that its operations were being winded up. The CEO also announced that the refunding process was being passed over to the Government of Guyana.
It all started when the substantive Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Sonny Ramdeo was slapped with a lawsuit by his former employers who accused him of stealing from them while in their employ. The lawsuit stipulated that the man converted monies entrusted to him to his own use which also included setting up his airline, EZjet.
However, even as the airline was getting ready to touch down and never to rise again, the CEO continued to mislead his staff including his acting CEO about the future of the airline.
At the end of the day despite the thousands of passengers including non-Guyanese who had booked flights with the airline, it was the Guyana office which was burdened and tasked with keeping the three other locations of the airline afloat, the former acting CEO stated.
The acting CEO then also said that what made the strain on Guyana more unbearable was when Guyana took liquid cash for tickets which were purchased in Guyana to pay fuel bills for the operational offices in Trinidad and Tobago, The United States and Canada.
Meanwhile, as the efforts to seek out the way forward in making the refunds acceptable to the passengers, they will have to wait for an undisclosed time frame before they can get any positive word on their monies which are now tied up with the airline.