The Guyana Government is giving assurances of protection to scores of passengers who have been left stranded after Eastern Airlines suspended service to Guyana – less than a year after commencing flights here.
According to the airline’s website, several flights to Guyana and other destinations are listed as cancelled. These include flights initially scheduled for February and March.
But the Ministry of Public Works, in a statement this afternoon, said the decision by the United States-based airline to suspend its service to Guyana with immediate effect “is yet to be officially communicated to the Government of Guyana.”
In fact, it was pointed out that within the past few days, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has held several discussions with the company and during those discussions, there were no mention of the suspension of flights to Georgetown.
“Notwithstanding, the Ministry of Public Works, Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and the Guyana Revenue Authority currently have bonds, in place, with Eastern Airlines to help protect passengers and state agencies,” the Ministry assured.
Eastern Airlines’ last flight operations were on Saturday, February 6 and their next scheduled flight was expected on Friday, February 12.
The airlines operated four flights weekly in January 2021 but this was significantly reduced in the last two weeks.
Speaking with this publication today, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lt. Col. Egbert Field, indicated that the airline seemed to have consolidated its scheduled flights last week into one – which was on Saturday.
“I know that those [seats] were dropping because it is not only the low season but also the competition has picked up… So I imagined Eastern Airlines consolidated their flights. I’d be unable to say much more without any official communication from them,” Field posited.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in a statement today called the Airline’s behaviour “inconsiderate, callous and inhumane”.
“The Coalition calls on the PPP regime to urgently address this issue and ensure that all the passengers who have been thrown into tumult are compensated and adequately taken care of in terms of their return flight,” the missive stated.
