Dominican Republic-based Sky Cana and Suriname’s Fly All Ways are finalising their operational plans as they aim to start commercial flights on the heavily demanded Guyana-Canada route.
Chief Executive Officer of Roraima Group of Companies Jerry Gouveia Jr, who is the local ground handler for Sky Cana, said yesterday that the airline is looking at an August start date.
Gouveia explained in a telephone interview yesterday that the airline is currently going through the process with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to complete its paperwork for approval of operations.
He said that the airline was aiming to offer multiple connecting flights a week, not just to Canada, but other North American destinations. He added that with the commencement of operation on the route, travellers will see the twinning of Guyana and the Dominican Republic tourism products. He said travellers will have access to deals of all-inclusive resort stays as well as Guyana’s eco-tourism adventure.
Meanwhile, a source told Stabroek News that Fly All Ways is also pushing to finalise paperwork with the Canadian Department of Transport, having received all necessary approvals from the GCAA. No start-up date for Fly All Ways has been announced as yet.
Stabroek News had reported in April that the two airlines received the greenlight from the Government of Guyana to operate here.
Caribbean Airlines, at present, exclusively operates on the route.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill had told Stabroek News that Sky Cana submitted its application in early April. He had stated that the process of ensuring their application and security bond met necessary regulatory requirements will be done.
He also announced that Fly All Ways’ application had been approved.
“Sky Cana made an application last week and that is being processed.They are going to start with a service that allows them as if you are doing a charter, and then other services that go with the application. They have not done that part as yet, but all of that will be something like any other airline that wants to operate within the route. Everything that is required in the regulations for the operations of a service, including the safeguard of a bond, to protect passengers and the rest of it, will apply…,” he said.
“We have already approved Fly All Ways to operate the Canada route. We have not given a date when they will start operating… We will follow through with all the details and this will include the bond, etcetera, that any other airline that operates will need,” he added.
Sky Cana, Edghill said, will operate a one-stop service to Canada via Punta Cana, Dominican Republic while Fly All Ways will operate a non-stop service from Guyana to Canada. Sky Cana is expected to fly to Canada from Guyana three times weekly.
Sky Cana’s entrance to the Guyana market was announced by President Irfaan Ali who also informed, via his Facebook page, that he had met CEO Frank Diaz Gonzalez at the Office of the President and that he welcomed the company.
Sky Cana is a Dominican Republic company that has 110 daily flights out of Punta Cana. Its fleet includes three AIRBUS A321s, four AIRBUS A302s, one AIRBUS A330-300 and one AIRBUS A330-200. Sky Cana will also fly to Houston. Fly All Ways will come from Suriname to Guyana then onward to Canada and for the return flight will stop here first before proceeding to its home country. The airline has been operating here since 2021 with service to Suriname and to Cuba.
Guyana has also been trying to interest Canadian carriers such as Air Canada and WestJet to enter the market.
