CONVIASA is to begin scheduled flights this month, while Government is in talks with other airlines.
One thing I beg the authorities not to let happen, and that is never to allow “intransit” passengers to overstay their time sitting in a plane or in the airport as those “Trinis” did to Guyanese.
Before you know it, Guyana and Guyanese will be branded as dirt bags, same as those “Trinis” that (allegedly) “feel up” and “finger” Guyanese at their airport.Over the last two years, the sector has seen the exit of both large and small airlines, including Delta Airlines, Ezejet and REDjet, among others. On the other hand, the sector has seen the entrance of several airlines, including Suriname Airways, Fly Jamaica and TravelSpan.
An official has stated that the exit of Delta Airlines had contributed significantly to the decrease in passenger movement through the CJIA.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the CJIA also reported a decrease of 12% in passenger arrivals for 2013. Immigration processed 235,967 passengers during 2013 when compared to 267,652 for the same period in 2012. Total passenger movement for 2013 amounted to 479,177 compared to 543,374 in 2012.
There was also an 18% decrease in international aircraft movement with 3,811 international aircraft movements being recorded as of December 2013, when compared to 4,640 for the same period in 2012.
It matters a lot whenever there is a decrease in flights and passengers to any country.
I am willing to bet officials do not know the cause for this decrease in passengers: lots of people could not care less for Caribbean Airlines, even since it was BWIA.
No matter how many times the “Trinis” changed their names, many Guyanese never travelled and will never travel with them.
Same goes for PNC, to PNCR, to PNCRiG, to APNU, it is still PNC.
Government needs to get Guyana its very own national air carrier and you are bound to see an increase in passengers arriving in Guyana in record-breaking numbers again.
Simply put, Guyanese would never trust the “Trinis” – ever.
T. KING