Turks and Caicos airline seeking to operate here
With an unserved market in the Greater Antilles from Guyana and increased interest in the country, Turks and Caicos-based interCaribbean Airways has filed an application with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to extend its operations here.
GCAA Director General Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field confirmed that the agency is in the process of reviewing an application for operation here by the airline. He said that the application was made recently but related that the airline has been knocking at the doors of the local industry since approximately a year and a half ago. According to Field, the airline, in its application, has said that they have seen an increase in passenger movement and recognised the difficulty in transporting passengers from that part of the region to here. “It has been easier for passengers from Trinidad, Barbados and Antigua to move because of Liat and CAL (Caribbean Airlines Limited) but it has been difficult from that part,” he said.
The airline, Field said, noted in their application that they are looking to fill that void and increase activity along the routes between Providenciales, Turks and Caicos via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Georgetown.
In a notice published by the GCAA in Thursday’s Stabroek News, it was stated that the airline has applied for a licence to operate here for a period of five years with a proposed commencement of operations from July 1. The regional airline plans to fly here twice weekly.
GCAA, in the notice, asked that members of the public who wish to make representations or objections to the application, to make submissions in writing no later than 3:30pm on March 6. Persons are asked to state the specific grounds on which the representations or objections are being made and also specify any desired conditions to be attached to the licence if granted. All submissions can be made to the Director General, 73 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana, or can be emailed to director-general@gcaagy.org or datm@gcaa-gy.org
interCaribbean Airways boasts of two ERJ145 50-passenger jets, eight 30-passenger Embraer 120 aircraft equipped with lavatories, a galley and flight attendant service, as well as a nine-passenger Britten Norman Islander.
The airline, on its website, said two additional ERJ145 aircraft have been acquired and are being prepared for entry into service, alongside a new fleet type to be announced.
The airline was founded as InterIsland Airways by Lyndon Gardiner with a single small Cessna aircraft operating on demand charters, according to the website. Over the years, it has expanded its services.