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Govt embracing public/private partnership to augment airlift service

Apr 09, 2013 News

 

Government is looking to embrace a public/private approach as it seeks to encourage more air traffic to these parts, a move which comes in wake of plans by Delta Airlines to depart the local skies.
Delta Airlines in a statement earlier this year cited a significant decline in passenger loads and by extension loss of revenues as the primary reason for its departure. The company’s General Manager, Sarah Lora, in the statement said that “Delta Airlines will close its station in Georgetown, Guyana, discontinuing flights between the John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.”
This move which was described as a “difficult decision” is expected to take effect from May 6, 2013, thereby allowing the airline to better focus its resources on profitable markets, said Lora.
At a press conference at the People’s Progressive Party, Robb Street, Georgetown, headquarters, yesterday Minister with responsibility for Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Irfaan Ali, said that Guyana was a very important market to Delta Airlines. “It was operating at an approximately 89 per cent load factor. We now know internationally they are looking at many markets that they are operating at 90 per cent.”
Expressing his opinion yesterday, the Minister said that a number of “airlines that are merging are looking for the more short high-end market where you have more business class short-end market.”
Moreover, he noted that it is important to make a few proactive moves in the local airline industry and “I want to deal with this holistically…one is that we need to get into the South American market. We see Guyana has the ability to be what Panama is for navigational traffic when you look at where we are located in South America and there are a lot of interest,” said Minister Ali.
He said that last year Virgin Atlantic had had discussions; several meetings with Government and there were also similar discussions with Jet Blue. Government had also made initial contact with other airlines including West Jet and Air Canada, informed Minister Ali yesterday.
In order to ensure a holistic approach is realised, the Minister emphasised the importance of the public/private collaboration even as he revealed that “we are putting together a team comprising of Government and the private sector to go to Atlanta where many of the corporate head offices of the North American based airlines reside to have face to face meetings with top executives.” This move is expected to forge agreements which will allow for added airlift to Guyana.
Although Caribbean Airlines was recently bestowed with the Flag Carrier status, the airline has however not been able to effectively take charge of the local skies. This is particularly since there has been a tremendous response to the drive by the Ministry of Tourism’s Rediscover Home Campaign, according to Minister Ali, who informed that while the airline “did its best to put on four additional flights, it still did not have enough flights to bring persons into Guyana.”
The local skies are also currently being attended to by Suriname Airways.

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