The need to strike a balance trying to keep the COVID-19 pandemic at bay and continuing to maintain links with the rest of the world would appear to be on the minds of the authorities in Guyana.
Earlier this week a public disclosure attributed to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed that government had cleared the Turks and Caicos Islands-based InterCaribbean Airways as well as a Suriname-based airline to operate on the Georgetown route.
The decision is likely to be seen as a measured one particularly since more flights into Guyana will give rise to ensuring the continued strengthening of the systems in place at the country’s two international airports to ensure the stringent application of the airport protocols in the light of recent official figures that reflect rising numbers of COVID-19 afflicted persons.
Edghill, who is quoted as saying that the decision on the two airlines necessitated Cabinet approval also disclosed that the Irfaan Ali-led government was also considering applications from other airlines to fly the Guyana route including such an application from the British airline Virgin Atlantic which has been pending since 2019.
The announcement regarding Inter-Caribbean Airways and the Suriname-based airline appears to be consistent with a wider if cautious move by several countries in the region to seek to bring a measure of normalcy to regional travel. The trend would appear to be triggered that given the high dependency in the region of revenue from tourism it is essential the ways be found to keep travel access doors to the region open.
COVID-19 protocols notwithstanding, the Public Works Minister would appear to be sending a signal that there is link between the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and an official push for more international airlines to ply the Guyana route.
“This has to go now to the next level. I think the next stage is a call [between] myself and the CEO of Virgin Atlantic to see if … [we] could get some accommodation on the way forward,” Edghill said, adding that the authorities are hoping to attract more airlines with the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.
