AN Eastern Airlines Flight 2D110 departed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport CJIA) at 19:34hrs on Tuesday for Miami. The 200 passengers onboard may possibly be the last set to leave here, with the country’s airports under lockdown.

The arrival of the aircraft to transport American citizens, who were desirous of leaving Guyana, stemmed from an arrangement between the United States Embassy here and authorities at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Guyana, like several Caribbean and other countries, had, on March 18, 2020, closed its ports to international travel. The closure has since been extended to May 1, 2020. Since the ban was imposed, three other flights were granted special approval to transport persons to the US, including a National Airline aircraft that took 78 Exxon Mobil employees to Texas.

However, there is no guarantee following Tuesday’s flight to Miami, Americans who, for whatever reason/s, were unable to travel out of the country, would be accommodated anytime soon.

The US Embassy, in a travel advisory to US citizens and legal permanent residents of the US, had strongly encouraged that they take the April 15, 2020 flight or “prepare to shelter in place indefinitely”.

Over at the Eugene F. Correira International Airport, Ogle, approval was granted for a flight transporting 20 Guyanese who were stranded in Barbados, to deplane at there on March 25, 2020. The agreement was made under the conditions that the passengers would be placed under quarantine, as stipulated by the Ministry of Public Health as part of the measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, once the passengers deplaned, some reneged on the prior promise, which has led to a situation where other Guyanese who remain stranded overseas are left in an unfortunate situation.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, commenting on a plea for assistance by the Guyanese who remain stranded, is on record as saying that the country’s airspace will not be re-opening to facilitate such persons. He had also alluded to the March 25, incident.
Meanwhile on April 4, a Trans Guyana Airways flight reportedly facilitated two flights transporting citizens of Canada to Barbados. From there the passengers joined an Air Canada flight to Toronto, Canada.

The ban does not affect cargo and medevac flights and technical stops by airplanes for fuel.
Operations at the Guyana/Suriname ferry have also been temporary halted with the closure of the ports. That led to a number of Guyana and Suriname nationals being left stranded at both ports. However, the Suriname authorities subsequently agreed to open the South Drain terminal to enable the stranded nationals to return to their homeland. Health authorities were on hand at Moleson Creek, Corentyne, on the Guyana side to screen the returning passengers.

The closure has also been extended to the back-track operations at Springlands; however, officers of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit are on the lookout for persons who may want to flout the restrictions.