Caribbean Airlines will be introducing direct flights between Guyana and New York from July as the company seeks to improve its service under new management.
At a press conference yesterday in the Exclaim Media office located in the Queen’s Atlantic Inc compound in Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, chairman of the airline George M Nicholas, pointed out that this July the direct flights will be made three times a week.
“This will be the first dedicated service…” Nicholas said, to the country now that Caribbean Airlines is under new management. A “next generation” airplane has been bought for the flight and is equipped with a triple seven cockpit with full catering, Nicholas added.
The direct flight will accommodate 154 persons and according to Nicholas, the fare will be “pretty good”. The plane will be named “The Spirit of Guyana”, a first for the country, Nicholas, recently embroiled in a heated row with Trinidad Transport Minister, Jack Warner, added.
The naming also represent the “airline’s new direction”.
Meanwhile, the new chairman added that in a meeting earlier yesterday with President Bharrat Jagdeo the airline vowed to work out the cost of fares being offered to air travellers. He noted that airfares via Port of Spain will be looked at in the next two months and there “may be a reduction”. Travellers have complained that the cost of a ticket between Georgetown and Port-of-Spain far outstrips the cost of flying between Trinidad and New York.
The chairman added too the airline will be exploring ways to make in-transit flights more efficient and reduce the hassle to travellers.
Caribbean Airlines recently partnered with Air Jamaica and has bought nine ATR’s at the cost of $200M. The ATRs will assist in the Southern Caribbean, Nicholas noted. While Caribbean Airlines now owns the name, the brand will not be changed Nicholas said. He added that Air Jamaica will “fly to some of the more exotic destinations”.
Caribbean Airlines also plans to add freighter services twice a week to the Caribbean. The airline will also be offering flights to London with the new planes that it has acquired.
“We are asking people to try our experience..we will be around quiet a while,” Nicholas said.
The airline was recently criticised for leaving Guyanese passengers stranded in Trinidad as a result of recent winter storms in the US.
Nicholas noted that Caribbean Airlines recently partnered with Air Jamaica doubling the size of the airline.
