Dynamic Airways has managed to put in place a temporary facility, which will allow its over 100 passengers stranded in New York to fly to Guyana today.
According to a press release issued last evening, the airline has organised a departure from Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) to facilitate the stranded passengers after it could not manage to secure seats for them on other carriers flying to Guyana.
It was stated that today’s flight was organised “with great support of authorities, airports and all parties involved.” Transportation for the affected passengers from JFK Terminal 4 to ACY will be provided free of cost.
The airline is requesting that passengers leaving today who were scheduled to depart JFK Terminal 4 at 10 am, arrive at the airport at least three hours before the scheduled departure.
The release said personnel with Dynamic Airways signs, will help all the passengers board the luxury buses that will take them to ACY. It stated that the airline will have additional personnel at Terminal 1 giving proper directions to passengers in order to avoid any confusion.
Additionally the release advised that the assembly point for boarding and departure of the buses is Row 8 at Terminal 4 and the buses will leave JFK Terminal 4 latest by 09:30 hrs. Passengers will arrive at ACY latest by 12:00 (noon) and start their check-in process at Landmark Aviation counter.
The flight will depart at 14:00 hours and is scheduled to arrive in Guyana at 20:00 hours.
The airline said that due to “temporary technical issues we have experienced in operating from JFK airport and due to very limited amount of seats available on other airlines, to protect our passengers to their final destination – Georgetown, Guyana, we have organised alternative transportation for all our passengers in order to prevent cancelation of the flight.”
It was stated that US$200 vouchers for future travel on Dynamic Airways will be given to all the passengers as compensation for the inconvenience caused by this change.
The release stated that passengers who have purchased the tickets via the company’s website or reservations call centre will be contacted directly via email and phone. Travel agents are responsible for informing their passengers directly.
It advised that “this irregular operation” will only affect today’s flight. It is expected that service will be back to normal shortly, the release added.
Based on what this newspaper was told, problems started last Friday night at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport before the flight left for JFK.
A Stabroek News reporter who travelled on that flight said that about 150 passengers were locked out. Eventually a staff of Roraima Airways collected their passports saying that they had to manually enter the passengers’ particulars to be uploaded to a TSA database as the company’s automated system was not working. On arrival at JFK they had to wait on the terminal to be assigned to disembark and as they waited airport security vehicles surrounded the aircraft.
Eventually two shuttles were provided and they were escorted to the terminal.
The reporter said that no airline official told them anything about the airline’s troubles and it was only through other contacts, that they learnt that the US authorities grounded the flight because the airline had no proper system for baggage at JFK.
