Fazel Khan will be sorely missed

Nov 20, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
It is with deep sorrow and shock that I learnt of the passing of airline Captain Fazel Khan. I do not know the Captain, personally, but we met a few times in New York and in Guyana exchanging thoughts on the importance of our country having a stable airline and what could be done to boost sales and improve service. He was open to innovative ideas.
He had a deep undying passion for flying. In fact, we both loved flying although I don’t fly an aircraft. In fact, I learnt of his passing while I was on a quick trip to Mexico. I also flew a few times with Fazel or Cap, as we called him. And I remain grateful to him for helping me get on a flight from JFK for Cheddi’s funeral, me having interrupted my study sabbatical in the Philippines.
Although Guyana Airways collapsed under Fazel’s watch, he performed an invaluable service to the airline, to the PPP, and to the country. He worked extremely hard and treated everyone with deep respect without consideration for party affiliation or ethnicity.And the collapse of the carrier was not entirely his fault. The airline was heavily indebted when Fazel took over and he did not have complete independent authority to make decisions. He functioned under political directives, some of which made no sense from an airline management point of view. And it was also at a time when airlines were doing badly with almost all of them losing money.
Fazel was a competent airline manager who was lacking support from the government. Most carriers were subsidized by their governments during the 1980s and 1990s but the Guyana government felt it had enough with running an airline and the international lending institutions had instructed the government to get out of the business.
Fazel was very supportive of travel agents. He intervened a few times to help travel agents in New York and sought their assistance when the carrier was not doing well. It should be noted that he was very experienced. The airline was never involved in an aviation disaster during his tenure with the carrier.
He valued safety and never compromised it for some other expedience. He was a hands on captain who had faith in manual operations using commonsense skills. He always emphasized the human factor was critical when aircrafts take off or land even with the most updated technology. He possessed wide knowledge about the airline industry. He was as dedicated to the airline as any airline manager. He was very patriotic and although opportunities came his way to fly elsewhere and earn big bucks, he chose to remain in Guyana . He remained with GAC and other small airlines to the end.
Fazel also performed valuable service to the PPP and contributed to the struggle against the dictatorship although not to the same extent as the more prominent members of the party and grassroots activist. He was a strong, loyal and committed member of the party and should have been a member of the Central Committee but for inexplicable reasons was kept out. He was deeply admired and respected by Cheddi who had appointed him Manager of the airline. He was very close with individuals of integrity. But after Cheddi’s death, he fell out with the leadership of the PPP by taking a principled position and increasingly becoming alienated from his own party.
He was unfairly blamed for problems not under his control and some higher ups in the PPP told me the airline was sabotaged just to undermine Fazel. They wanted to show him who was boss and teach him a lesson. Unfortunately, the entire country paid with GAC going out of business.
He looked well when I last saw him. His death shocked many of us in the New York area and we all extend condolences to the family.
Fazel’s simplistic smile and easy going demeanor will be sorely missed.
Rest in Peace fellow countryman!
Vishnu Bisram

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Fazel Khan will be sorely missed

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