Dear Editor,
Guyana lost Billy Braithwaite, a sports enthusiast who wore many hats drawing on a wide array of skills. Billy, as he was popularly called, did a very good job as an airline administrator. He managed two airlines (Guyana Airways and North American), off course at different times, from New York during periods when it was most difficult for the airline industry. He worked with BWIA where he learned the business and transitioned into Guyana Airways rising to senior management position. He managed carriers when the industry was in a chaotic state losing huge amounts of money. Although initially we had a challenging encounter because of business practices and politics, we soon became respected associates in the airline industry. I respected his knowledge of the airline industry; few knew it like him. I salute his airline service to Guyanese. He was also closely associated with Lall Somwaru, Jim Bacchus (who also passed away last month), and Nohar Singh, all of who also knew the travel industry quite well, and with who Billy did business as a manager.
My association with Billy goes back to the 1980s when the Guyana Airways office was located in Brooklyn opposite Sybil’s bakery, fast food restaurant, and catering service. I visited the office several times for tickets chatting with Billy. He would come to Richmond Hill to meet travel agents who sold GA tickets; they all spoke fondly of him. We also met at countless social events including at airline holiday parties and other events to which I was invited as a news reporter.
GA was shuttered around 1999 and was purchased by a group of businessmen led by Yesu Persaud. The airline was renamed GA 2000 and the office moved to Hillside Avenue and 173rd Street. I used to visit that office regularly but don’t recall if Billy was retained as GA 2000 manager. But Billy and I met at several events in Richmond Hill and at travel agencies. GA 2000 was short-lived.
As Billy told me, the failures of GA and GA 2000 had virtually nothing to do with NY management. Political factors were the major source of collapse of GA and GA 2000 did not get strong state support.
After 9/11, the airline industry was in dire straits but soon demand for service to Guyana grew with only BWIA servicing the route from North America. Universal made its entry into Guyana but ran out of steam. Then came North American Airlines that used to do charters for the US military to fill the Guyana void. NA opened an office on 101 Ave in Richmond Hill and functioned for almost a decade with Billy as its NY manager and Junior Horatio as Guyana manager. Billy worked closely with travel agents and delivered a very good product. It served the market well and was profitable. Guyana’s economy started doing well. Airline competition to Guyana increased with the introduction of Delta and several charters. Eventually NA decided to end its Guyana operations because of declining profits and because it got more lucrative deals with the US government to run charters for the military.
Travel agents express gratitude for his service and for various concessions offered at GA, GA 2000, and NA although all three still owe me refunds on unused tickets. In particular, I am most grateful for one concession that allowed me to travel to Guyana for the funeral of Cheddi Jagan in March 1997. I was in the Philippines on a research sabbatical interrupting it to get to NY and connecting to Guyana arriving just in time for the state proceedings that had started at parliament building.
Thank you Billy for your patriotic service to Guyana. Your service will be missed in the airline industry.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram
