The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) will launch an investigation to see if there have been any infractions as it relates to Travelspan selling tickets for Dynamic Airways as the latter airline has not yet been granted approval to recommence service here and thus should not be selling tickets.
“We have not received any application from Dynamic Airways or any approval by the US DOT (Department of Transportation) saying Dynamic has their approval…what the authority will do is launch an investigation,” Chairman of the GCAA Hugh Denbow told Stabroek News yesterday.
On Travelspan’s website and on its social media pages, the company advertises ticket sales, saying flights will begin from November 22nd. The company also states that it is an authorized sales agent for Dynamic Airways. “Call TravelSpan 718-845-0437 Your Authorized Sales Agent for Dynamic Airways or book-online www.travelspan. com 24/7,” the advertisement states.
The advertisement notes that a charter agreement was required for Dynamic flights.
Denbow told Stabroek News that since Dynamic Airways has not been given approval to fly again, it would be illegal for the airline to be selling tickets.
Efforts to contact management of Travelspan, for comment proved futile.
Last month Travelspan announced that it would be unable to fulfil bookings for passengers scheduled for flights from this weekend due to a split with its carrier Vision Airlines. The airline had said in a statement that effective from September 27, it would no longer be a (GSA) General Sales Agent for Vision and blamed a “significant amount of cancelled, and delayed flights” on an inconsistent service. It also said that both companies suffered losses as a result.
Travelspan, which contracts planes to offer scheduled chartered flights, assured that passengers in Guyana and New York would either receive refunds or be put on other carriers but that passengers seeking refunds will have to wait for up to two weeks.
Observers have criticized the pullout by Travelspan, opining that travellers were being used as it was only during the travel peak period that companies were bringing charters and then for the rest of the year, passengers are left, most times, to face extremely high fares as there is no competition.
Dynamic Airways has also faced troubles of its own. In June, the airline had a troubled entry into the local market after numerous problems beset its inaugural flight from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
It was subsequently grounded at JFK, New York for a series of violations.
As a result, it was forced to use alternative airports in Connecticut and New Jersey to transport passengers to Guyana. The DOT subsequently pulled Dynamic’s operations approval, giving it up to August 8th to get its business in order.
Earlier this month, the company in a statement said that it was gearing to resume flights between Guyana and the United States late next month after DOT lifted its suspension and granted approval for the carrier to operate to a variety of destinations in South America. “The US DOT has granted approval for Dynamic Airways LLC, a US airline based in Greensboro, NC, to operate to a variety of destinations in South America,” the statement had said.
While he confirmed receipt of the DOT approval, local representative and partner of the company Gerry Gouveia told Stabroek News that he was being cautious and did not want to give a date of recommencement until “all the I’s are dotted and Ts crossed.”
Gouveia said that he was eagerly anticipating the airline’s restart and this time around, he will do his best to ensure the service is sustained and Guyanese are given the stellar airline service they deserve. “Guyanese have been taking a beating recently with airlines man and it’s time they get some relief… I promise they will be given the best service, which they deserve, when we start back,” he said.
He informed that 25 flight attendants that were trained by Dynamic will soon be returning home as they prepare to commence working from here when the company restarts operations. The flight attendants were trained in the United States and were working with Dynamic on the other destinations it served while the suspension here was in place.
