GUYANESE continue to stress the need for improved air travel, especially on the profitable Georgetown-New York (GT-NY) route, even as work to upgrade the sector and its supporting facilities continues.

This was the expression of numerous passengers who weighed in on what they called the “blatant disregard” for Guyanese passengers by Trinidad carrier Caribbean Airlines (CAL), after the company cancelled its Sunday flight out of Guyana and reportedly failed to provide an alternative option for those who urgently needed to return to the US.
Warren Figueira, a passenger with CAL, expressed much disappointment over the situation.
In a Facebook post in which he tagged several prominent persons including the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, Figueira explained that CAL had cancelled its flight out of GT-NY via Trinidad last Sunday and later informed passengers that no other flight would be available until Wednesday April 11.

The man said he was “literally begging” to be placed on an earlier CAL flight when the airline told him that business-class seats were available, but not until Tuesday and more money would have to be paid for the upgrade.

Figueira noted that CAL never called or emailed him to say that the Sunday flight was cancelled, but he did receive two $300 vouchers from the company, which they refused to accept to help pay for his upgraded seats.

“So how about the $300 x 2 voucher they gave us at the airport? They said we cannot use that!!! So after paying $1,225 per ticket and after they cancelled our flight, we have to pay additional [money] to upgrade to get on a flight two days later to get home….They have zero empathy about how your job is being affected, missing work because of their fault,” an upset Figueira stated.

Efforts to contact CAL on these allegations proved futile.
Reacting to the CAL matter, some persons called for a boycotting of the airline, while others called for Guyana to revive its own flag carrier.
“It’s time Guyana get their own plane,” Joyleen Crawford said, while Alana Corbin opined that the only reason Guyanese go through “nonsense” on the GT-NY route is because the choice is extremely limited!

Another person called for government to encourage more airlines on the GT-NY route and to ensure that they do not shortchange Guyanese.
Other persons wanted to see penalties being instituted against airlines that fail to act responsibly to their customers, while some expressed delight at the competition potential carriers such as American Airlines and others would bring to the Guyana market.
Director of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Captain Egbert Field, had told the Guyana Chronicle that American Airlines in Guyana was a good sign in the country’s improving aviation safety and security capacity.
He indicated that it would also bring competition to the robust Georgetown –New York route.

The Georgetown- New York route though profitable is unstable.
At times, there could be as many as six carriers plying that route and then only two or three carriers could be traversing between the two capitals, mainly regional and US-based carriers.

Given the high profit margin, Guyana has seen many fly-by-night carriers and unscrupulous characters offering services to the flying public. In the end, Guyanese are often left stranded, overcharged and even discriminated against.
Numerous persons were seen seated in the CAL’s Avenue-of- the -Republic office Monday, many awaiting information on their flight.
Some persons were also seeking answers regarding another CAL flight that was also cancelled on Saturday.

Sudesh and Nandani Hemnauth said their CAL flight was cancelled on Saturday and there had been no word as to when they would get a flight out of Guyana.
While they said CAL officials told them the Saturday flight was cancelled because the pilot reported sick, Crail Taylor said he had heard nothing following the cancellation of his Sunday flight.