Local Representative of embattled Dynamic Airways, Gerry Gouveia is assuring Guyanese travelers that better is coming.
Gouveia who hosted a Press Conference today, (Monday, December 16, 2016) reassured members of the media that recovery flights will resume today for the more than 600 passengers who were stranded at the weekend.
This weekend passengers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and John F. Kennedy (JFK) International were left stranded as a result of a series of unfortunate events which Gouveia detailed yesterday (Sunday, December 18, 2016) on his Facebook page.
“We have two Boeing 767s on the ground (at) JFK. One is the back up to the operating aircraft. Unfortunately, a ground handling truck at JFK accidentally hit the left engine casing of the aircraft. The Engineers are working around the clock to return that aircraft to serviceability. The backup aircraft was activated and did two flights (but) on the return flight to JFK, the aircraft developed a maintenance issue which is currently being rectified by the maintenance teams working around the clock to fix” the Dynamic Rep. posted.
However, on Monday, Mr. Gouveia, offered apologies to the stranded and assured them that the company was working to get everyone to their desired destination within 24 hours.
He also spoke to the stability of the company; giving it a grade of 7 out of 10 for its operations over the past three years noting that during in this period Dynamic has had a high level of reliability. “If we are doing five flights a week, you check and see how any times you actually hear there is a problem” he challenged.
For the in-flight service, the grade was less flattering with Gouveia, giving this part of the operation a grade no greater than 4 out of 10 and apart from his displeasure, he says he has spoken with the management of the company and he has been given the commitment that there will be improvements.
“I am not happy with the in-flight service and I wish we work harder to improve it and I have the commitment from the Dynamic management that we will do it,” he said.
The question was also asked about a widely shared news report on a bride-to-be who missed her wedding as a consequence of the weekend’s cancellation. To this, Mr. Gouveia said he has asked his staff to locate the woman so that he could make it up to her and her spouse utilizing the resources of his own companies.
“I would like to meet herself and her husband and offer them some compensation package, maybe a weekend for their honeymoon at Arrowpoint and maybe fly them to Kaieteur Falls” he promised.
The New York Post reported that Leezel Cambridge, 27, a bride-to-be missed her own wedding because of an unexplained snafu in the 2 a.m. flight. Her husband had to tell their 300 guests, who were already waiting at their venue, that she wouldn’t be making it. “I had to cancel it,” she said of her nuptials.
She spent Sunday — which was supposed to be her wedding day — curled up on the airport’s floor with her wedding dress and 15 of her family members.
Regarding compensation for other passengers, Gouveia says Dynamic will do whatever is legally required of them.
