Gov’t wants to work with interCaribbean Airways to resolve issues- Edghill

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill says the government has been keen on engaging interCaribbean Airways to resolve the issues affecting the airline in the interest of Guyanese travellers and tourists coming to Guyana.

Edghill, who has oversight for the aviation sector, acknowledged that passengers have been affected by numerous flight disruptions with this airline.

Because of that, he noted that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) engaged the airline about fulfilling its contractual obligations to travellers.

Edghill said this engagement is important because the government is keen on ensuring that there are enough flights to and from Guyana to facilitate easy travel and boost local tourism.

“Our first approach is to see how we could best deal with the issues that are affecting an airline before suspending service or terminating their contractual arrangements.

“We want airlines performing that service effectively,” Edghill told the News Room in an invited comment.

Still, the airline has been warned given the complaints raised and formally lodged with the GCAA.

Last month, the News Room reported that passengers from Guyana and several other Caribbean nations have complained about lengthy flight delays which, in some cases, forced them to cancel flights with interCaribbean Airways.

Director-General of the GCAA, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Egbert Field confirmed that the agency is addressing the issue.

The airline, via a notice on its Facebook page, addressed some of the concerns raised by passengers.

“Due to unforeseen temporary staffing issues, it will likely take a few additional days for schedules to return to normal,” the release stated.

It also acknowledged that punctuality is a “key component” in air travel and as such, interCaribbean Airways promised to mitigate future disruptions.

The company’s Founder and Chairman, Lyndon Gardiner also offered comments on the issue in the release.

He said, “While flight disruptions are not unusual with any airline, we take responsibility for the situation and are working to improve customer service and communications.”