April will mark three years since Suriname Airways launched its passenger service between Georgetown and Miami and Head of its administrative operations in Guyana Rudi Westerborg believes that his country’s national airline is still to realize its full potential as far as fostering relations between the two countries is concerned.
Suriname Airways is providing the service at a time when there are issues that impact negatively on the quality and reliability of airline passenger service between Guyana and the United States. From a business standpoint, Westerborg told Stabroek Business during an interview on Wednesday, the service is more than holding its own. Between 2012 and 2013 ticket sales increased by more than 50 per cent while sales grew by a more modest 10 per cent between 2013 and last year.
Westerborg believes the success of Suriname Airways in the Guyana market up to this time is a function of the airline’s rigorous adherence to high standards including its mindfulness of good customer service. He is aware of the competition from Copa Airlines and Inselair. “The reality is that the airline industry is competitive and Suriname Airways is seeking to do as well as it can in Guyana. We know that if we want to do well we must work on both our service and our pricing. We believe we are doing well in both areas,” Westborg says.
Currently, Suriname Airways is the only carrier plying the route between Georgetown and Miami non-stop. In the low season the airline offers two flights per week. In the high season, three flights per week. There are discussions going on in Paramaribo about increasing the number of flights. The discussions have to do with several issues including the availability of pilots and cabin crew. According to Westborg, aircraft, is not an issue. There are already three Boeing 737 300s dedicated to serving the region.
Westborg says the airline’s longer-term ambition goes beyond the service that it currently provides. What Suriname Airways seeks to do, he says, is to build a bridge that provides a reliable link amongst four countries, Suriname, Guyana, Brazil and French Guiana. “We are hoping to strengthen both travel and trading links amongst these four countries. My understanding is that Guyana receives more than 40,000 visitors from Suriname every year. There you have the potential for a brisk tourist trade,” he says.
Westborg is upbeat about the recently concluded bilateral summit between Guyana and Suriname about improving trade links. “I believe that the meetings allowed us to discover the potential that exists for deepening trade relations between Guyana and Suriname. Yes, there is scope for Suriname Airways playing a role,” Westborg says.
Plans to deepen the airline’s role in providing services to Guyana include deliberations on offering regular tour packages to other destinations in the continental neighbourhood. “Brazil may be on the cards. We’re working with the Guyanese and Surinamese aviation sectors to work on a possible package to Brazil. “
Since August last year, the airline has been offering a dedicated service moving cargo from Miami to Georgetown. Westborg says that since its inception the service has been well-supported by the Guyanese business community. “The movement of cargo from North America is important to the growth of the Guyanese business community. This is another area where Suriname Airways is playing an important role.”
