Air Caribbean gets approval for Guyana-Miami flights


Guyana Chronicle
April 26, 2000


THE government yesterday gave the green light to Air Caribbean for scheduled flights from Guyana to Miami, the airline's Area Manager here, Ms Annette Arjoon said.

She told the Chronicle Air Caribbean's Boeing 737s will fly to Miami four times a week but flights will be increased to seven days a week.

The airline started flights to Miami in March 1999 but these originated in Trinidad.

The Trinidad-based company has already established routes from Trinidad to Guyana, Tobago and Barbados and the Miami service will be added most likely by June, Arjoon said.

Guyanese in Florida and the U.S. in general, will benefit from the increased carrier options and price competition that the new route will create, the airline said.

Arjoon complimented the Ministry of Works and Communication and the Civil Aviation Department for the approval.

"Air Caribbean feels that this timely permission clearly demonstrates the PPP/Civic Government's commitment to an open sky policy and to the growth of tourism in Guyana," she added.

"...All of us at Air Caribbean believe very strongly that the airline's growth not only depends upon, but will actually generate an increase in tourism visitors into Guyana as well as more visits to the country by expatriate Guyanese", she said.

The local GA 2000 airline earlier this year stopped its scheduled Miami service as part of a revamping programme.

GA 2000 spokesmen in January said the Miami route was uneconomical and would be stopped.

Air Caribbean has been targetting the Guyana market and last year introduced a special Tobago package for Guyanese.

Explaining the Tobago itinerary then, Arjoon said passengers leave Guyana on Friday around 1730hrs and arrive at Piarco airport in Trinidad in time to connect with the 1930hrs shuttle to Tobago, just 15 minutes away.

Passengers from Guyana return Sunday night.