As the novel coronavirus is still wreaking havoc around the world including on the aviation industry, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority GCAA) has reported that, for the second consecutive year, it has suffered financially throughout 2021 due to COVID-19.
This was revealed by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, during a recent press conference held to recap on the performances of the various agencies under his ministry.
“The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority did suffer financially as a result of COVID because, largely, revenue comes into the GCAA as a result of flights that pass through Guyana’s air space that are required to pay for air navigational services.”
“And with the reduction of those flights, [the GCAA has] had a revenue shortfall,” Minister Edghill stated.
The Public Works Minister went onto related that despite this loss of revenue, the Aviation Authority, which they are expecting to recover this year, has developed its human resources and has implemented new systems at Guyana’s International Airport.
“But largely they have managed well and have been able to maintain their own.”
“They have done extensive work both in terms training and development of Human Resources as well as the implementation of new systems… you would’ve have seen, having the extended runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport being reopened… The country is fully aware of the instrument landing system we have introduced and facilitated to aircraft, being able to be guided into Guyana even with some of the most difficult conditions,” the Minister explained.
Meanwhile, Edghill lamented that the Cheddi Jagan International Airport has seen an increase in passenger flow, both in and out of the country, in November of last year. That figure, he projected, would have gone up the following month.
“In terms of passenger flow, 359,350 passengers were our totals up to the end of November. These numbers would have significantly grown for the December period and that shows that we have grown 97 per cent over the 2020 period. But when we compared that to 2019, before COVID, we are still below that and would have represented about 55 per cent of the 2019 pre-COVID period,” the Minister further explained.
Nevertheless, Edghill contended that Guyana has made the right decision by having its airports reopened.
“We led from the front as it relates to the re-opening of airports. We have been accredited for our Health Standards by the National Accreditation body [at the] Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and we have been re-credited since [for] maintaining the high standards even in a COVID environment. And we have seen the movement of aircraft for both passengers and cargo growing.
“We are happy that Guyana is open, the port health is functional and we are getting on with the doing of Business in and out of Guyana,” the Public Works Minister added.
