–Minister Edghill says, after British Airways ‘touches down’ at CJIA

THE official flag carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways (BA), on Monday evening landed its inaugural flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

At an official welcoming ceremony for the inaugural flight, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that this forms part of the country’s ongoing transformational agenda.

According to the Public Works Minister, this was a decisive and deliberate move to transform the country into a hub for air travel, connecting the Caribbean and South America with other parts of the world while providing services to every possible destination.

“We have been working very hard in signing air services agreements, negotiating that and engaging airlines as well. The record is there about the amount of new airlines that have come to Guyana since the PPP/C came to government in August 2020,” Edghill said.

He added that British Airways coming to Guyana provides the country with great opportunities, noting that this will not be the only European airline that will come to Guyana.
Edghill related that the landing of the flight here makes more sense, as visa-free travel for Guyanese to the United Kingdom was recently greenlit.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, during her address said that the government was pleased to have been able to work with the management of British Airways to add destination Guyana to BA’s route.

She added that the flight comes just under a year after President, Dr Irfaan Ali met with representatives of British Airways in London in April 2022.
At that time, it was agreed that both parties would work on bringing British Airways to Guyana as part of the government’s strategic thrust to connect Guyana to the wider world.
“We returned home and thereafter what followed was a lot of work to make this moment a reality,” she said.

That, she said, brought the country to this moment which brings myriad opportunities, whilst also connecting Guyana to the wider world.
“Connecting the world with Guyana remains a priority of this government and we see Guyana as an active part of global travel networks, and we are continually engaging major airlines with a view to encouraging them to serve this destination,” Walrond added.

This, she said, is part of a wider strategic economic objective to make Guyana easily and affordably accessible for all businesses in all sectors.
Against this backdrop, she added that it can be said that many travellers from the UK are interested in eco-tourism and the general nature experiences.
As such, Walrond indicated that these travellers will find that Guyana has much to offer as the country continues to receive international accolades for its eco-tourism products and community tourism experiences.

“We take great pride in developing sustainable tourism, understanding that as we do so with the responsibility for future generations in mind,” she said.
The introduction of the flight, the Tourism Minister indicated, also provides greater opportunities for partnership between Guyana and St Lucia as the two countries share the route.
Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, said that this move feels transformative as it is a huge step both personally and professionally.

Addressing a personal aspect, she said that this move brings better and easier connectivity for her and her family who reside in the UK, as she said they will soon visit Guyana via a British Airways flight and vice versa.
“I do think this marks a new step in the UK-Guyana relationship,” she said.

The first British Airways flight to Guyana which came from the United Kingdom stopped in St Lucia and made its way to Guyana. The Boeing 777 aircraft was also led by a pilot who has Guyanese parentage. Over 100 passengers arrived on the inaugural flight.