Rebranded regional airline – LIAT 2020 – has asked the Government of Guyana for permission to once again service this destination but has been told that it has to meet the requirements for a number of processes including those relating to finances and safety.
It is in this regard that government is calling on persons here to make objections or representations if they had any, on the airline, as it conducts its due diligence and other processes.
“LIAT 2020 Limited is a new airline incorporated in Antigua and Barbuda and was granted an Air Operator Certificate by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority earlier in 2024. LIAT 2020 Limited applied to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority to commence scheduled air services and as per the Civil Aviation (Licensing of Air Transport Service) Regulation 2001 the application was published for the public to make representation and/or objections for the proposed service,” Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who holds oversight for the aviation sector, told Stabroek News yesterday when contacted.
“The Government of Guyana has not granted any approval as yet, as the airline is now going through the application process. LIAT 2020 has to complete their safety process, economic process, and aviation security process. The public notice is part of the economic process,” he explained.
In yesterday’s Stabroek News, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) stated in a public notice that the carrier had submitted an application process and was seeking a one-year licence. The routes listed were daily services to Antigua, Barbados, Georgetown, with connections in SXM (Sint Maarten), EIS (British Virgin Islands), SKB (St Kitts and Nevis), DOM (Dominican Republic), SLU (St Lucia), GND (Grenada) and POS (Trinidad and Tobago).
“In accordance with the Civil Aviation (Licensing of Air Transport Service) Regulations 2001, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority hereby advises the public that the following operator has submitted an application for the operation of scheduled air services,” the notice stated.
“…The public is hereby invited to make representations and or objections to the said application,” the notice added.
It instructed that all submissions must clearly outline the specific grounds for the representation and or objection and may include any suggested conditions to be attached to the licence if granted.
The representations or objections must be made no later than 4:30pm,Wednesday, September 25, 2024, and addressed to the Director General of the GCCA, Lot 73 High Street Georgetown or emailed to [email protected] or [email protected].
In 2020, due to its cash-strapped nature, the airline had undergone restructuring and in early October of that year, as part of its restructuring plan, LIAT terminated the employment contracts of 564 employees and retained only 103 employees who were deemed to be vital by the administrator to the continued operation of the airline.
In late November of 2021, Edghill, had told reporters that LIAT had applied to resume flights to Guyana though he said that the airline should not anticipate approval of its application until the authorities receive the requisite assurance of the company’s ‘fitness’ to deliver a service. “LIAT will not receive the necessary aviation approval until the government is assured of the company’s steadfastness.” When pressed on the requirements for permission, the Public Works Minister answered, “It has to do with the assurances that we can have.” “… Passengers don’t want to be buying tickets and be left with a stub in their hand and no carrier to bring them back or take them in.”
