GA 2000 takeoff plans on stream
PLANS are on stream to have the new Guyana Airways 2000 up in the air by mid-month, but ticket sales are not going well because of non-competitive pricing. Travel agents yesterday said although there have been several enquiries about Guyana Airways tickets since these have been put back on the market, there have not been too many sales because of the price. "The sales are not so good...No one is really interested now because the fare is too expensive at this time..I don't think agents will offer these fares to customers in such a competitive environment," one travel agent related. According to the travel official, the GA 2000 one-month ticket from Georgetown to New York costs US$561, comparative to the regular fare for the same flight offered by British West Indian Airways (BWIA). But BWIA now has a special US$399 summer offer, a deal most customers are rushing for, the agent said. "The average Guyanese is looking for something that is reasonable," another agent offered. However, another travel agency was optimistic that GA 2000 tickets will sell because of the one-hop non-stop service being offered. "The fare is not as competitive as BWIA's...People are concerned about the fare yes, but everybody likes the one-hop, non-stop flight," the agent said. "The one-hop non-stop flight I think is what is attractive with the Guyana Airways offer." An agent in Berbice said while they have not had any sales as yet on GA 2000 tickets, the agency will be pushing to do so. The agent complained that of recent, BWIA had been offering an "anyhow" service, but travellers were forced to use them because there was no other choice. "I am happy to see Guyana Airways back in operation (and) we are going to push the sale of their tickets," the agent added. The Chronicle understands that the flight schedule for the resumed service is five days a week from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri to John F. Kennedy. The flights are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, one agent confirmed. Chief Executive Officer of GA 2000, Mr. Anthony Mekdeci, said yesterday the company was working hard to meet its deadline. He said there were still some staffing requirements to be met but declined other details on the preparations. "You have to wait and see. This is like the opening of `Pandora's' box," he told the Chronicle. The successor airline of the defunct Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC) last week said it will lease an Airbus A300-600R, 278-seater aircraft on its non-stop route. According to GA 2000, the company will be operating the only direct, non-stop, fully catered international service to North America. Aviation Investments, the new joint venture partner of GAC, recently received the mantle of control for the airline from the Government. The consortium led by the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG), won a bid for 51 per cent of the company. (MICHELLE ELPHAGE)
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