The problems with the flights

Oct 03, 2013 Editorial

Guyana’s air travel woes may have resulted from its own devices. At least the United States Department of Transportation feels that Guyana was not too accommodating of aircraft operating out of North America.
Historically Guyana was serviced by flights out of the Caribbean, Britain, the Netherlands and the United States. Back in the 1950s and right up to the 1980s, flights to Guyana came from these countries and took Guyanese to every corner of the world. Most of the people either went to the Caribbean but many went to the United Kingdom and to North America.
But sometimes economic reasons force airlines to curtail their operations and many simply stopped coming to Guyana because there was not enough traffic to maintain that level of aircraft arrivals. But any self-respecting country, once it has the wherewithal, would establish its own airline and Guyana did just that.
It is unfortunate that when a new government took office, the authorities opted to close that airline for reasons other than its economic status. Senior officials who have no reason to hate the new government now express regret at the reason for selling out the national airline. Those in the know say that there were ethnic considerations.
Since then, the country has been experimenting with every company or individual who offered a service but this has not helped the situation. Charters came and for a while, they offered cheap fares that enticed people in the Diaspora. But before long they left people stranded in Guyana because the lease could not be supported.
Eventually a North American carrier began to operate and the situation stabilized until the airline pulled out. There must have been good reason but these were never explained to the nation. Suffice it to say that a strong North American carrier began to operate out of Guyana. And things went well for years, so well that when given a choice the people gravitated to the airline that was not only reliable but which treated the people with respect.
We now hear that Guyana was so keen to shoot itself in the foot that it allowed the introduction of an airline without the requisite due diligence. One could understand the patriotic ideal behind the reason for allowing EZjet to operate between Georgetown and New York and later, Canada. The founder was Guyanese and a country should do anything to aid its nationals.
Indeed, the United States, at the drop of a hat, rescues and aids its nationals. It is this determination to protect American interests that has led to the US Department of Transportation placing restrictions on the operation of airlines that fly between Georgetown and the United States.
The Americans contend that the regional airline, Caribbean Airlines, has been enjoying an unfair edge by way of subsidized fuel. If the airline is owned by Trinidad and Trinidad is an oil-producing country then it is only reasonable to expect that the country’s airline should enjoy cheap oil.
Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producing country in the world. It has a fleet of commercial aircraft which all enjoy the cheap fuel on offer. There has been no objection but then again, had Caribbean Airline been flying from Trinidad alone there would have been no problem. Operating out of Georgetown is the problem.
The American authorities are firm in their belief that Guyana is not keen to support North American interests. Delta found a most frivolous reason to pull out. People now understand that the very American Government might have had a hand in the cessation of Delta flights out of Georgetown.
It is not that Guyanese are opposed to the present situation but they feel that they should be given the same options that other travelers enjoy. And sadly, their government is in no position to promise them anything. They have seen the government threaten with bluster and braggadocio, like the pup with no teeth threatening to bite.
Guyana should not attempt to fight the Americans; there is nothing to be gained and a lot to lose. They have lost direct flights to North America. And in return they must keep bracing themselves for an influx of undesirables from the United States.

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The problems with the flights

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