US airline JetBlue is expected to embark on a scouting mission next month for possible operations in Guyana, according to Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson.
“They will be mounting a mission next month… the first or second week of next month. They will start looking at things like facilities, hotels, staffing,” Patterson said in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI). The minister was responding to the reports that the American carrier is expected to add Guyana to its international routes early next year. “From my understanding, they received the aircraft late, so it is pushed back a bit. They were supposed to start in November and they are still pushing [towards the launch of operations in Guyana],” Patterson explained.
While noting Guyana lacks a direct link to Europe, progress is being made in that regard, he said. According to Patterson, “The [Guyana] High Commissioner in the UK contacted us saying that Virgin Atlantic was looking at Guyana and they are doing their 2020 routes-hubs programme, and they say they want Guyana to be a part of it.”
According to DPI, Patterson stated that he will work alongside the Minister of Finance Winston Jordan to examine the feasibility of Virgin Atlantic’s expansion of service to Guyana. “That hasn’t been resolved as yet, but there is an ongoing discussion… I have made phone calls directly to the [Guyana] High Commissioner to the UK and empowered him to talk directly to Virgin about bringing their services here.”
