Phased re-opening of international airports may be in late August

– Civil aviation officials

The phased re-opening of the Cheddi Jagan and Eugene F Correia international airports is now being considered for late August following a recommendation from the Ministry of Public Health, says Abraham Dorris, Manager of Security at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Dorris made the announcement during a stakeholders consultation hosted by the Ministry of Business’s Tourism Recovery Action Committee (TRAC) while making a presentation on measures implemented by the aviation body.

“…Phase two of the reopening is hoped for by August 28. The Ministry of Public Health did have a stipulated date which they suggested for late August. We are still to be advised on the reopening of the airport, whether or not we can reopen,” Dorris said.

Additionally, he indicated that none of the six airlines operating in Guyana have signalled an estimated date to resume operations. However, he noted that this decision is likely dependent upon a definite date being announced for the reopening of the airports.

Meanwhile, Saheed Sulaman, GCAA’s Air Transport Management Director and a part of the panel during the stakeholders’ engagement said the aviation agency decision to reopen the airports hinges on the control of the virus globally, regionally and nationally.

He explained that while the GCAA has a phased reopening plan, the agency works in line with government’s sixphase reopening plan for the economy.

He also noted that they will have to consider the destinations they will accept flights from as some countries are still to get a handle on their coronavirus management.

Additionally, he pointed out that once the airport is reopened fully, it will still be somewhat restricted to accepting flights.

“We may not be allowed to enter into an opening that we know prior to COVID-19. It is going to be a somewhat restricted opening. We will not be having a normal [schedule of] flights,” he explained.

Currently, the country is in the first phase of a four-phase reopening plan which allows for repatriation flights.

Phase two, which caters for limited incoming flights for citizens, permanent residents, international workers and agencies and diplomats was scheduled to commence on July 1.

However, that plan was pushed back to August 1, as the cases of coronavirus here kept climbing.

“Phase one which would have ended on June 30, 2020, is now extended to July 31, 2020, and Phase Two will now commence on August 1, 2020,” the GCAA had said.