Domestic aircraft operators “struggling to stay in business” under COVID-19 restrictions

Apr 23, 2020 News

– blast Aviation Authority over misleading fare increase accusatio

While making it pellucid that a blanket statement by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) about increased fares by all domestic operators is erroneous, the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) has indicated that its members have been reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Domestic aircraft operators say they are “struggling to stay in business” under COVID-19 restrictions

In a statement issued yesterday, the AOAG blasted the GCAA, completely rejecting assertions made in a press release issued by the Authority, which accused all domestic aviation operators of increasing airfares.
The AOAG expressed shock that the Authority “should do so without first checking the facts”.
“It is most unfortunate that Director General, Egbert Field, should use terms such as “unconscionable” and “unscrupulous” to describe the entire industry based on a complaint made by the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) of an increase in passenger and freight prices which, in fact, referred only to one operator, Air Services Ltd., operating exclusively, at the time, in Region 8.
The Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana, comprising Trans Guyana Airways, JAGS Aviation, Wings Aviation and Roraima Airways (who is also a member of NATA), have not increased their prices in spite of the restrictions imposed on the industry by the COVID-19 Task Force through the GCAA.
The fact is that the shutdown of almost all passenger operations in the interior have led to a more than 50% reduction of all flights and making the removal of VAT ineffective and leaving our members struggling to stay in business.”
The statement highlighted that since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AOAG members have introduced stringent protocols to ensure the safety of passengers.
This includes 100% temperature testing of all passengers and staff, sanitizing of aircraft before every flight, the compulsory wearing of face masks and hand sanitizing before passengers and crew board aircraft. And all cargo being similarly sanitized.
However despite of these strict precautionary protocols being applied, the AOAG said that COVID-19 Task Force has further enforced a 50% passenger restriction (it was initially set at 75%) on all domestic flights.
“In addition, the Task Force has stopped all passenger flights to border destinations, which, inexplicably, have included Matthews Ridge and Port Kaituma, even though these border locations were already closed off and a no fly order was in place for all foreign travelers.
The AOAG pointed out that while these restrictions are being placed on aviation traffic to border areas, there is ample evidence that there is little or no enforcement in place on the ground, as passenger vehicles and boats continue to operate freely at these locations.
Further, the release added that the Aircraft Owners Association have discussed these matters with the GCAA and was advised that the measures being enforced by the COVID-19 Task Force are excessive, given the mitigation measures already in place against the risk of spreading the virus, and that these measures have been taken without sufficient regard for the negative economic impact on the hinterland communities.
The statement continued that the AOAG nonetheless understands the concerns expressed by the Amerindian Peoples Association and the Government with regard to Region eight food and freight supplies.
Thus it has been decided that the AOAG will immediately look at introducing flights to provide relief in this area.
The AOAG also noted via the statement that while, in Guyana, domestic airlines are suffering from punitive COVID-19 restrictions, in other countries, Governments are moving to bailout airlines in financial trouble resulting from the pandemic.