Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill yesterday announced that chartered flights to and from the United States have been approved for the months of September and October.
This announcement was made during a virtual press conference yesterday where Edghill stated that since his appointment he and Junior Minister, Deodat Indar, have been meeting with the heads of various departments and agencies.
Given the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in Guyana, he said it was vital that he meet with the Head of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), considering that many Guyanese at home and abroad are interested in the steps that they will be taking regarding travel.
During the meeting with the General Manager, he said they resolved the issue of late or delayed flights and subsequently announced the approval of several chartered flights, both inbound and outbound, for the months of September and October. He said that the civil authority will be publishing the dates shortly so that the interested parties can be aware of what is going on. The approved flights are from Miami and New York in the US.
The Minister added that they are still holding discussions as it relates to flights to and from Toronto, Canada. “As it relates to flights to Toronto, Canada, that is a work in progress as of noon, the latest communication that I have is that engagements with WestJet [Airlines] and Caribbean Airlines are ongoing to ensure a similar type arrangement can be in place for chartered flights at specified times, observing all of the COVID-19 protocols both
internationally and nationally.”
He added that the GCAA will continue to provide regulatory advice and instructions to the Ministry and will ensure that both inbound and outbound flights are in full compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. He noted that they are currently exploring the possibility of the acquisition of mist tunnels that will allow for sanitisation upon arrival and departure at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
The minister said the GCAA decided to pursue that option because it is crucial to ensure that they have the appropriate standards required for the full reopening of the airport.
As it relates to the reopening of the airport to commercial flights, Edghill stated that there are a number of factors that need to be considered. He noted that due to Caribbean Airlines being based in Trinidad and Tobago, which is currently on lockdown, they might not be ready to start commercial operations.
In addition to that, Edghill stated that at present, the airport doesn’t have the necessary measures in place to accommodate commercial traffic.
“We are putting in place the possibility of rapid testing on arrival at the airport. We are putting in all of the (international) and recommended protocols for safe and sanitised movement at our airports. We believe in two weeks everything on our side will be ready but we are not sure that the commercial airlines will be ready so we are approving charters to keep the movement of the people in and out and because it’s only charters, the system that we have in place, [that] are adequate to handle this type of traffic. The commercial travel of five flights a day, we will need additional things in place,” he explained.
