MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon, on Thursday announced Cabinet’s approval for additional charter operations for Surinamese airline Fly All Ways, and for Guyana Sun Tours Inc.

The air carrier is, for a period of one year, expected to operate non-scheduled charter flights to Paramaribo Suriname; Georgetown, Guyana; Bridgetown, Barbados; St. John’s Antigua; and Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“It would be recalled that Cabinet had granted approval to Fly Always NV to operate multiple scheduled routes out of Georgetown to the Caribbean and South American destinations, for a period of two years with effect from February 2016. This is an additional approval. It is expected that the additional charter operations approved for this airline (would) benefit the tourism industry and other sectors within Guyana that depend on air transportation for the movement of people, goods and services,” Minister Harmon explained.

Fly All Ways, based in Paramaribo, Suriname, started operations on January 10, 2016 with the launch of its inaugural flight. Its first commercial flight, to São Luís, capital of the state of Maranhão in Brazil, took place on January 22, 2016. The first charter flight to Barbados took place on February 5, 2016. Later in February 2016, the first flights followed to Willemstad, Curaçao; and Philipsburg, Saint Maarten.

In the same month, the Government of Guyana granted the new airline rights to operate scheduled flights to Guyana, with connections to Brazil and the Caribbean.