Guysprint Flights Banned Pending Bond Dispute

LOCAL tour operators Guysprint were last week banned from operating any flights into or out of Guyana over a dispute on the US$300,000 bond to be posted as surety. However, it was reportedly being allowed three flights to get more than 300 stranded passengers out of the country.

Guysprint’s Manager Douglas Maloney said when Guysprint began operations on August 2 last year a letter of credit (LC) drawn on the Royal Bank of Canada to the value of US$300,000 was placed with the Guyana Consul in Toronto and accepted. However, Director of the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) Anthony Mekdeci, told Guysprint he wanted the bond to be placed in Guyana.

The LC was brought to Guyana but rejected by Mekdeci who said the bond has to be placed in cash. Maloney said this is contrary to international procedure.

The matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers for advice. Guysprint received letters last week dated February 1 that the LC was unacceptable and flights were banned. No compromise has since been possible with Minister of Communications and Works, Jules Kranenburg on this issue.

Maloney said that after Crown Air went out of business in February Guysprint chartered another service, Nation Air, which he describes as the third largest carrier in Toronto. He disclosed that GAC is also utilizing the services of Nation Air and actually absorbed Guysprint passengers after the tour operators were disallowed from organising flights.

Maloney says that Nation Air is willing to lodge the US$300,000 bond as an LC but Mr. Kranenburg is insisting that cash be posted. It was not possible to contact Minister Kranenburg up to Press time for a comment.

According to Maloney Guysprint was formed after a visit by President Desmond Hoyte to Toronto in 1987 when he urged Guyanese to become involved in developing their country. He says Guysprint is 99 per cent Guyanese-owned and it cost over CDN$250,000 to get “a programme like this going.” He says they performed well and had never missed a flight until Crown Airways collapsed.