CARIBBEAN Airlines last week recognised several of its corporate partners and long-standing top frequent flyers at a customer appreciation reception held at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston,Georgetown.

The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Guyana Telephone &Telegraph Company (GTT) and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) were honoured for their contributions to trade and investment in Guyana, as well as their existing and continuing support of Caribbean Airlines (CAL).

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caribbean Airlines, Garvin Medera, stated: “In the world of business, and especially in the world of airlines, loyalty is greatly valued. It takes hard work to achieve it, and even harder work to keep it. At Caribbean Airlines we do not take loyalty for granted and nothing lifts our hearts more than support from our customers.”

As such, he said Caribbean Airlines has distributed 300 complimentary cards to stakeholders in the business community. Abdool Hamid is considered one of the top flyers, being the only person to travel over 80,000 miles for this year and who has also flown over one million miles since Caribbean Airlines started; he was therefore placed in the executive gold category and was awarded with lifetime Club membership. Thirteen gold members were also rewarded for travelling over 40,000 miles each.

The CEO also stated that the airline has extended its philanthropic arm to the Ministry of Public Health, by creating the Caribbean Children Miles Bank for use by families of sick children who require medical treatment abroad. He also announced the airline’s partnership with the Kind Soles project of which First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger is a patron. The airline will provide air freight to transport shoes into Guyana for distribution to many people who reside in the interior.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge who attended the event stated that the airline’s service has been a crucial part of the infrastructure of Guyana. He added that CAL has also provided a lifeline of sorts to the Region and aids it in one of its most important economic sectors – tourism. Greenidge said that the airlines has provided and continues to provide critical services in moving people and goods across the Caribbean community and other parts of the world.