Dear Editor,
Mr Jerome Khan asked the question, “Where was the good old Captain, when the Timehri Airport was being renamed…?” I was sitting in Parliament as a witness and listening to the raging debate for and against the proposal to change the international airport’s name. This is the rightful place to debate such an important action such as renaming an international airport.
I am a mere pilot so I would not dare enter into a debate with an eminent lawyer and successful business executive like Mr Khan. All I would venture to say is that branding in business is invaluable. If your family owns an airline as well as an aviation maintenance company, and is the major shareholder in the airport in which you operate, and by a stroke of coincidence that airport is being renamed in your family name, and Mr Khan with his qualifications and business sense is saying there is no economic branding benefit, what more could I say?
By the way, I am not an easy believer in coincidence. The coincidence of the Correias being a major shareholder in the airport and the airport being renamed ‘Correia’ baffles my mind. As far as I was told this idea to rename the airport is purely the initiative of the President and I do not think the President would deny that fact. Even Mr Mike Correia is publicly claiming that he was just as surprised as everyone else when the President publicly pronounced on it for the first time.
Might I remind Mr Khan that the Ogle airport lease was also executed during the same period when he slanderously claims that “the acquisition of state properties was done at below market prices.”
What I would like though is the evidence, not just hearsay evidence, that this man E F Correia is worthy of this honour ‒ the honour to have the airport named after him and by extension to further brand Guyana. Show me the evidence that he was a professional aviator. Show me the evidence that he contributed in a significant manner to aviation development in Guyana. Show me the evidence that he contributed in any significant manner to our national development. Show me the records of his distinguished service to Guyana that warrant naming our country’s second international airport after him.
Convince me that he is distinguished enough and his contributions to our country are of a magnitude that warrant this honour. Show me the evidence, convince me and I will publicly bow before the sign at the airport.
Until then, I say this is the most outrageous, undemocratic and low blow to the majority of the aviation stakeholders. There was no consultation. In fact as of now there is widespread disagreement with our airport being named after the major shareholder who is already exercising anti-competitive and dominance behaviour at the airport.
Mr Khan should know that this is business not politics.
Yours faithfully,
Gerry Gouveia
CEO Roraima Airways