-airline says situation expected to be fixed today

DYNAMIC Airways’ flight schedule is expected to be rectified today; and the airline, apologising to dozens of passengers affected by its delays last weekend, has announced plans to introduce a regular daily service between Guyana and New York.Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, under whose ministry airline operations fall, noted during a radio show on Monday that the situation was “very unacceptable”. He has also pointed to consumer protection mechanisms which the travelling public can approach.

Dynamic Airways’ operations in Guyana are handled by Roraima Airways, and the CEO of that domestic airline, Captain Gerry Gouveia, told reporters at a Duke Lodge press briefing on Monday afternoon that the delays were being feverishly addressed. He said 280 passengers were expected to land at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in a flight coming from the JFK Airport in New York, as the problem is being sorted.

Hundreds of passengers are expected to be ferried between CJIA and JFK over the course of Monday and Tuesday, as the airline works to satisfy its disappointed customers.

“We are extremely sorry, and apologise to the passengers for the delay and the cancellation,” Gouveia said. He noted that the airline is committed to the safety of passengers, and, as such, the airline preferred to ensure the aircraft’s airworthiness.

Gouveia said the company is extremely sensitive of the effect the situation has had on Guyanese passengers, especially at this time of the year.

Regarding compensation measures, he said, airlines follow the requisite regulations as mandated by the regulatory bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).

There was a myriad of complaints by passengers regarding the service centre of the airline, and Gouveia said this aspect of the three-year-old operation has to be improved. He suggested that a call centre be opened in Guyana to address customer concerns, and noted that the matter has been on the table for some time.

In addition, he said, the inflight service, which he graded at three on a scale of one to 10, has to be improved. “We are in the process of doing that,” he added, noting that the airline has been moving more of its aircraft to Guyana with a long-term plan of introducing a daily service between Georgetown and New York.

Saying that Dynamic Airlines has demonstrated its commitment to serving the Guyanese public, Gouveia noted that the airline’s record speaks for itself.

Minister Patterson has noted that, as at midday on Monday, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had met with representatives of the airline, and thus he would be furnished with a report on the travel delays.

“Obviously, this is something that is very unacceptable,” he told radio host Stan Gouveia on HJ’s 94.1 FM Radio. Patterson said the necessary measures will be implemented once he receives the report.

Concerning customer concerns in regard to the airline, Patterson noted that there is a local consumer protection body at which persons can register their complaints. The agency would address such concerns, he promised.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, (and) we have to look into (it),” he said.

Regarding sanctions, Patterson said he has asked the GCAA to determine what legislative authority it has and can act on regarding penalties and fines for airlines.

Meanwhile, following reports that a young woman’s wedding plans were affected by the Dynamic flight delays last weekend, Gouveia has said he would be willing to meet with the couple. He hinted that Roraima Airways, which is the host of the annual Wedding Expo, would be willing to compensate the passenger “only because of the sacredness of marriage”.

Maintenance issues on one of its two Boeing 767 aircraft, followed by a truck accident on another aircraft of similar type, resulted in Dynamic Airlines flights being long delayed last weekend. More than 600 passengers were affected by those delays.