When plane ticket for local flights get wings

Aug 13, 2026 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

Dem Boys Seh…

(Kaieteur News) – Dem boys watching this airfare for local flights and wondering what really is going on. The President expressing disappointment that local airlines ain’t dropping the price of domestic tickets as much as he expected. One operator did apparently reduced its fares, but dem boys nah sure about de others.

But here is the funny thing: if government believes Guyanese paying too much to fly from Georgetown to the interior, government does not have to stand on the podium and beg airline operators to reduce the fare. Government has a much bigger stick—and it is called duty-free concessions.

Every year the aviation operators getting concessions on aircraft, parts, equipment and other things because aviation is considered important to national development. Fine. But if the public is subsidizing the industry, then the public should see some benefit.

Government could simply say: “You want duty-free concessions? Wonderful. But the taxpayers want something in return.” And what they want is cheaper domestic air travel.

If an operator gets substantial concessions but still charges fares that make a trip to the interior look like a business-class flight to London, then government should ask whether the concession is still justified.

Cap the concessions. Reduce them. Or, if necessary, abolish them.

The other option is even more interesting. Remove the concessions altogether and let the market determine the true price of flying. Then government can put the subsidy where it belongs—with the passenger. Give Guyanese a voucher for domestic air travel.

That way, instead of government subsidizing the airline and hoping the benefit trickles down to passengers like rainwater through a zinc roof, the subsidy goes directly to the person buying the ticket.

Because right now, government may be giving the airline a discount while the passenger getting the full-price bill.

And dem boys know about trickle-down economics. In Guyana, sometimes the only thing that trickles down is added costs.

If government believes domestic aviation is essential for connecting the coast with the hinterland, then treat it as a public policy objective—not a polite request to private operators.

The President should not have to plead with airlines to reduce fares. He should simply tell them: “If you want taxpayers to subsidize your wings, then let taxpayers benefit from the flight.”

Otherwise, dem boys recommend that government buy a bicycle for every interior passenger. At least the fare would be free.

Talk half. Leff half.

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Dem Boys Seh, plane ticket, wings

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