Dear Editor,
I note with interest your editorial of September 18, 2019 with the headline `In-transit re-fuelling risks’.
To provide your readers with some deeper insight into the matters you raised in your editorial, please permit me to share the following.
Caribbean Airlines continues to serve Guyana, the Diaspora and the community consistently with an average of six daily flights to/from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
The airline operates within various civil aviation regulators that govern air transport. These include the United States Department of Transport (US DOT), Transport Canada, the Federal Aviation Authority, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority and the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority.
The safety and security of all our customers are the airline’s first priorities, and our fuelling and re- fuelling processes are done in accordance with approved civil aviation procedures.
Caribbean Airlines has detailed international, accepted and approved procedures for refuelling our aircraft with passengers on-board. These procedures are proven, tested and strictly adhered to at ALL times by our competent employees and is a normal practice in the industry.
Caribbean Airlines is also a longstanding partner with Guyana and the Diaspora, as evidenced by our consistent support of community activities, including but not limited to:
- Independence and Republic celebrations
- Sponsorship of the Park Side Steel Orchestra
- Mashramani
- Duck Curry and Chutney Monarch Competition
- Phagwa
- Kite Flying
- Kind Soles
- Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition
- Iwokrama International Centre
Additionally, the airline has responded positively on numerous occasions to major humanitarian requests by the people and Government of Guyana.
For example, Caribbean Airlines put on additional services and transported stranded passengers left by the Fly Jamaica crash in November 2018. Caribbean Airlines carried these stranded passengers from several points including Guyana, Kingston, Toronto and New York at no cost to the passengers. The airline also responds expeditiously in the event of natural disasters, even when other carriers cease operating into Guyana.
Your editorial also stated: “One enduring area of major concern – (high cost of tickets and poor quality of in-flight service are subjects for later discussion) what remains, is the treatment of passengers who are in-transit, to and from North America, at Piarco International Airport, in Trinidad.”
On the point of ticket prices:
- Caribbean Airlines has and continues to carefully manage ticket prices for the Guyana market. It is useful to note that the ticket prices of other foreign carriers are in fact regularly higher than Caribbean Airlines, particularly with respect to fares that include a checked bag. On Caribbean Airlines our customers’ first bag always flies for free.
- Caribbean Airlines has increased the number of non-stop services between Guyana and JFK and continues to appeal to the relevant authorities to facilitate seventh freedom services which would enable Caribbean Airlines to bypass Trinidad and fly directly between Guyana and the United States of America (USA). This goes beyond the Multi-Lateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) and would allow for flights directly to/from the USA.
- If Caribbean Airlines is granted seventh freedom approval, the airline would no longer have a mandatory regulatory requirement to pass through Trinidad and thus, will save on the costs incurred for this unnecessary part of the customers’ journey.
Obtaining seventh freedom approval would resolve significant challenges and place Caribbean Airlines’ operations on a level playing field with the North American Registered Airlines, which fly directly between Guyana and the United States. This would allow the current costs of operating Caribbean Airlines flights to be reduced to the levels of the other airlines and, consequently, reduce the cost of tickets.
With respect to the in-transit matters, as mentioned, airlines globally must comply with the international regulations set out by various regulatory bodies. The requirement for in-transit passengers to disembark is a decision of the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, which must abide by the regulations of the United States Transport Security Administration (US TSA).
Caribbean Airlines has worked feverishly to minimize inconvenience to all passengers, including our valued Guyanese customers.
I am happy to advise that the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT) will, in short time further improve the in-transit facilities at the Piarco International Airport, Trinidad to enhance the customer experience for all in-transit passengers.
Guyana is a key and growing destination for Caribbean Airlines and we do not take lightly the contribution and loyalty of our valued Guyanese customers.
Having just concluded a visit to Guyana which included media interviews, I would be delighted to sit with you to provide any further information you need concerning Caribbean Airlines.
Thank you and Stabroek News for the opportunity to provide this information.
Yours faithfully,
Dionne Ligoure
Head of Corporate Communications Caribbean
Airlines Limited
