Scores of American citizens were given the opportunity to return home yesterday via a special flight by Eastern Airlines. The outgoing flight was made possible following a request by the United States Embassy in Georgetown to the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF).
The flight departed Guyana yesterday afternoon via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and was en route to the Miami International Airport with two hundred passengers. The flight departed at approximately 6.20pm yesterday.
On arriving in Miami, the passengers are expected to make alternative travel arrangements to get to their final destination. Passengers were informed of the flight via a post made by the embassy on its Facebook page. According to the post, the U.S. embassy in Guyana had received approval to operate a commercial relief flight for US citizens who wish to depart Georgetown to Miami. “We strongly encourage U.S. citizens wishing to depart Guyana to utilise this option or prepare shelter in place,” it stated.
Stabroek News understands that citizens who had indicated their wish to return home to the embassy were also contacted.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field yesterday told Stabroek News that the task force granted approval after reviewing the application made by the embassy.
He explained this flight was regarded as a special humanitarian relief flight and thereby received approval.
As part of Guyana’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, incoming and outgoing commercial flights have been suspended.
Asked if any special arrangements will be put in place for Guyanese trying to return home, Field said the airspaces remain closed to all passenger flights and it will be up to the NCTF to grant a waiver.
“The directive does not allow for any special flights at this time. We have to be cautious of the fact that individuals can be carrying the virus and it is better for us to deal with what we have in house than expose ourselves,” the GCAA Director General explained before stating that this is a measure used by several countries to minimise the spread of the virus.
He also noted that many of the destinations from which Guyanese wish to return from are heavily infected COVID-19 areas and this is a factor the NCTF has been looking at.
Additionally, Field said that the airspace remains open for the transportation of incoming and outgoing cargo.
The Canadian High Commission had also assisted their citizens in returning home by chartering flights from Guyana to Barbados and thereon to Canada through Trans Guyana Airways and Eastern Airways.
