Approval granted for British aircraft to bring and take home Exxon workers

A Boeing 787-8 aircraft known as the ‘Dreamliner’ will be landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at 16:54 hrs on Tuesday to take home workers of the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Vessel.

Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), retired Col. Egbert Field told the News Room that 50-70 workers will be returning to the United Kingdom (UK) and another set will be coming to Guyana to take over their duties.

He noted that ExxonMobil “has requested the special charter coming out from London to bring in the changeover passengers or the changeover crew and take out those who have been on sea.”

“It is not a commercial flight,” he added, noting that the GCAA will be at the airport to ensure that only offshore workers are returning on the flight.

The Liza Destiny FPSO is moored 190 kilometers offshore Guyana with four subsea drill centers supporting 17 wells.

Field assured that when the workers come in “they will be serving their fourteen-day quarantine period and the Ministry of Health has already inspected the facility identified by Exxon.”

The News Room has confirmed with CJIA’s Public Relations Officer Shunza Samuels that the flight is set to depart at 19:30hrs. The aircraft is making a direct flight from London’s Heathrow airport to the CJIA.

Samuels said approval for the aircraft to land and depart was granted on Monday.

The UK Government has also sought approval to operate a special flight from CJIA to London for British tourists, short term visitors and their direct dependants to return to the UK.

The Task Force has not yet responded to this request.

Guyana closed all ports of entry on March 17 in an effort to curb the importation of COVID-19 cases. It has also implemented a curfew from 6pm to 6am.