Canadian budget airline, Canada Jetlines, will soon be flying to Guyana from Toronto following a partnership agreement it has with Suriname airline, Fly Always, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill yesterday said.
“Fly Always had applied for permission to fly the Guyana [to] Toronto [route]. That was granted and they had applied to use an airline out of Canada. So Canada Jetlines will be operating on behalf of Fly Always,” Edghill yesterday told Stabroek News when contacted.
He said that as soon as the airline submits its “necessary flight information” it will commence flights, but believes that it will launch in time for the CPL T20 cricket tournament.
Canada Jetlines was founded in 2010 but launched its inaugural revenue flight only on September 22, 2022
In April of this year, this newspaper reported that two regional airlines – the Dominican Republic-based Sky Cana, and Suriname’s Fly Always – would have been offering flights from Guyana to Canada, with the former set to begin service from June 1st.
Sky Cana’s entrance into the Guyana market had been announced by President Irfaan Ali who also informed via his Facebook page, that he had met with the company’s CEO, Frank Diaz Gonzalez, at the Office of the President and that he welcomed the company.
Edghill had later also announced that Fly Always’ application had been approved but government was yet to advise when they will commence flying this route.
“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 goes 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 had said.
“We have already approved Fly Always to operate the Canada route. We have not given a date when they will start operating. That is something they had applied for and has already been approved. Fly Always would have made the application, it was processed and Cabinet has offered its no-objection. We will follow through with all the details and this will include the bond, et cetera, that any other airline that operates will need,” the minister added.
Sky Cana, Edghill informed, will operate a one-stop service to Canada via Punta Cana, Dominican Republic while Fly Always will operate a non-stop service from Guyana to Canada. Sky Cana is expected to fly to Canada from Guyana three times weekly.
Guyana has also been trying to interest Canadian carriers such as Air Canada and WestJet to enter the market. It is unclear as to the status of its lobbying efforts.
