Guyana’s new airport fees have been implemented hastily and have led to long lines and delays at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). For this reason, the issue has been taken up by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is causing controversy in Guyana.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) last Saturday replied to criticism from the IATA. CJIA issued a lengthy statement lecturing IATA that it under no legal obligation to give the organisation an explanation.
Instead, it urged IATA to put in place the pay codes, so that the funds can be collected.
Passengers now have to queue up at CJIA to pay that additional fees, instead of the airlines collecting it as part of the ticket price. This has led to delays of departing flights.
Meanwhile, the airport will be completed this summer and from this picture and passenger complaints, it’s evident that the arrival hall is already too small and with little or no room to expand.
When two or more flights arrive at the same time, it’s a chaotic situation. It can take up to one hour to clear immigration.
IATA representative, Peter Cerda, two weeks ago condemned the airport authority for the additional fees of US$15 for arriving passenger and US$17 for departing passengers.
He said, It is completely unacceptable that passengers are being inconvenienced in such a manner. This is a direct result of the airport’s management refusal to engage with IATA on a process which is standard practice across the globe.
As a consequence, our member airlines have unfortunately no choice other than to manually collect the additional fees and charges.
CJIA in reply said, CJIAC would like to emphasise that it has no arrangement or agreement with IATA. Its arrangements are with the airlines. Further, there is no contractual arrangement or requirement between the airlines and CJIAC which requires CJIAC to engage with IATA.
CJIAC broadsided IATA when it said, IATA without any cloak or shroud of legitimacy is demanding that CJIAC make what can only be characterised as an airport fee application filing to them providing full justification and explanation of the basis on which the fees have been determined.
In defiance, the airport said, its officers and employees are prohibited from providing information to entities for the purposes of certifying the basis on which the corporation determined the fees it would charge.
Much less in this case where there is no legal relationship between IATA and CJIAC.
CJIA said that on January 25, 2019, the airport informed airlines of the proposed fee increase which went into effect on April 1, 2019 and that it provided explanations of the fee increases, based on capital improvements.
CJIAC budgeted two billion in capital works for 2019/2020 to improve the services offered to the passengers and its airport stakeholders. The larger terminal with passenger boarding bridges has seen a significant increase in operational cost inclusive of power consumption.
Meanwhile, the airport is still incomplete; bathrooms are already clogging up or breaking. There is no air condition system functioning throughout the arrival or the departure areas.
Check-in takes a long time and incoming passengers have to wait for an average of 30 minutes or more to clear immigration. There are only 10 arrival booths and two are used for VIP and Crew.
The departure and arrival terminals are already crowded because the government reduced the size of the expansion project.
The runway and the parking lots are still incomplete. Some of the major and minor roads leading to the airport and within the airport facilities are also incomplete.
The opposition leader, the former president Bharrat Jagdeo whose government initiated the project and reduced by the present government, condemned the additional arrival and departure fees.
Jagdeo said the US$150 million expansion and modernisation of the airport were aimed to increase passenger flow, thus eliminating the need to increase fees and taxes.
Stakeholders also complained that the new taxes and additional fees do not stimulate tourism and domestic air travel.
Jagdeo said that his government conceived the airport expansion with the idea that increased passenger flow would offset the need to add more taxes and fees to passenger tickets to sustain the expansion project.
Cheddi Jagan International Airport, formerly Timehri International Airport, is the national airport of Guyana.
The airport is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timehri, 41 kilometres (25 mi) south of Guyana's capital, Georgetown. It is the larger of the two international airports serving Georgetown with the other airfield being the Ogle Airport.
The airport sits at an elevation of 95 feet (29 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 06/24 measuring 7,448 by 148 feet (2,270 m × 45 m) and 11/29 measuring 5,002 by 148 feet (1,525 m × 45 m). The terminal has six ground level gates and four boarding bridges.
On 30 July 2011, Caribbean Airlines Flight 523 overran a runway in rainy weather while landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport and went through a chain-link perimeter fence. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, broke in two just behind the first class cabin.
There were no fatalities, although at least two passengers suffered broken legs and many others suffered lacerations and other injuries.
Caribbean Airlines confirmed that 157 passengers and 6 crew members were on board the aircraft at the time.
n 9 November 2018, Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256, bound for Toronto, overshot the runway when making an emergency landing for technical issues in the Boeing 757's hydraulics.
Airlines That Fly To And From Cheddi Jagan International Airport:
- American Airlines
- Aruba Airlines
- Caribbean Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Surinam Airways
- Northern Air Cargo
- DHL Aviation
- Caribbean Airlines Cargo
- Amerijet International
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Showing posts with label Aruba Airlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aruba Airlines. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 May 2019
Wednesday, 20 June 2018
GUYANA: WestJet To Offer Service Between Canada And Guyana
This information was disclosed during the opening of the 15th Annual General Meeting of the Barbados based Caribbean Aviation Handlers Association (CAHA) at the Symposium Conference Center here last Friday.
Performing the function of chair of the official opening ceremony of the meeting, Wesley Kirton, a director of the Roraima Group of Companies which hosted the conference, apologized for the absence of the West Jet representative, Ms. Beverly Garcia- Cottrell due to a personal emergency.
I am asked to convey to the meeting her regrets for not being here but to convey to the Guyanese authorities WestJet’s commitment to looking at serving the Guyana market and to advise that WestJet will send a delegation to Guyana shortly to initiate discussions with the authorities here, Kirton said.
A one-on-one meeting had been set up for Ms. Garcia-Cottrell with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The CAHA meeting was declared open by Guyana’s Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and heard also from GCAA’s acting director general Ms. Artie Heeralall, the vice chair of the Private Sector Commission Mr. Desmond Sears and chief executive officer of Roraima Airways Capt. Gerry Gouveia.
The meeting addressed a number of issues affecting the regional aviation industry including safety on the ramp, regulation of ground handlers, modernization and the regional open skies agreement.
The meeting also heard from airlines serving the region including Surinam Airways, Aruba Airlines and Inter Caribbean Airways.
WestJet operates over 100 aircraft, exclusively Boeing models, out of Canada.
The airline currently operates the Boeing 737 and Boeing 767 aircraft, and according to recent records, it has ordered 10 Boeing 787 aircraft to boost its fleet.
In a statement issued in December 2016, the airline said that it is seeking larger aircraft with the intention of adding new destinations.
In recent years, a number of airlines from across the region and further afield have expressed an interest in the Guyana travel market.
Earlier this year, major US carrier, American Airlines announced that it will be operating flights between the CJIA and Miami from December this year, offering travellers additional travel options between these shores and North America.
Tourism Observer
Monday, 11 June 2018
CURACAO: Divi Divi Air
It was established in 2001 and is based in Curaçao. In the area its nickname is Divi.
The airline is named for the Divi-divi tree which grows in the region.
Divi Divi Air was founded in 2001 and commenced operations in 2002 with a fleet of Britten-Norman BN-2P Islanders to Bonaire.
For over 17 years Divi Divi Air has been a household name on the route between Curaçao and Bonaire.
The locals on the islands characterize the airline by its small scale, personal attention and particularly high punctuality.
Although the aviation company run by the Richie family has concentrated almost entirely on maintaining the route between Bonaire and Curaçao in the first 17 years, Aruba was added in 2018.
According to director Germain Richie-Durand, the intention is to improve the connection between Bonaire and Aruba.
Divi wants to bring the population of the three islands closer together, says Richie-Durand.
According to the Divi director, the Twin Otter will gradually be deployed more broadly on the routes of islands.
Divi Divi Air began flights out of Curaçao to Aruba on February 15, 2018. This was followed by the launch of operations to Aruba out of Bonaire on February 17, 2018.
The expansion signals that Divi Divi Air has now joined Aruba Airlines and Insel Air as the only known airlines connecting the Dutch Caribbean's ABC islands.
The Curaçaoan airline operates the Curaçao-Aruba service 6x weekly, the Curaçao-Bonaire service approximately 10x daily, while the flights out of Bonaire to Aruba are scheduled as 1x weekly.
All flights will be operated with Twin Otter and the Britten-Norman Islander.
Divi Divi Air strives to be an efficient and reliable airline for all the travel needs of people traveling between Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
Divi Divi Air Destinations
- Kralendijk, Caribbean Netherlands, Flamingo International Airport.
- Oranjestad, Aruba, Queen Beatrix International Airport.
- Willemstad, Curaçao, Hato International Airport.
The Divi Divi Air fleet is composed of the following aircraft.
- Britten-Norman BN-2P Islander: 2
- Cessna 172P: 1
- de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter: 2
- Piper PA-32R: 1
- Total Aircrafts: 6
On October 22, 2009, a Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander operating as Divi Divi Air Flight 014 suffered an engine failure and ditched five minutes flying time away from Bonaire.
The pilot was knocked unconscious on impact; his passengers could not undo his safety harness and he went down with the aircraft, but rescue boats picked up all nine passengers.
Tourism Observer
Tuesday, 22 May 2018
ARUBA: Aruba Airlines Launches Flights To Punto Fijo In Venezuela
The airline, in partnership with the Venezuelan government, inaugurated its Aruba (AUA)-Punto Fijo (LSP) route on its Bombardier CRJ-200LR yesterday.
The two airports are separated by a short 50 miles. However, the two countries are separated by 15 miles (24 km).
Currently, the world’s shortest commercial flight is Loganair’s Westray to Papa Westray, scheduled to last less than two minutes.
However, Aruba Airlines’ flight to Punto Fijo lasts less than eight minutes, becoming one of the world’s fastest active international flights by jet.
The Venezuelan state’s governor, Victor Clark, said that the opening of this route will strengthen the country’s air connectivity.
We welcome the re-start of direct flights to Aruba, said Clark.
The airline will operate the flight twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, offering connections to Curacao, Bonaire, and Miami.
Even though prices for the short hop are marketed at a high fare of US$235, the inaugural flight carried 50 passengers.
The opening of this route will increment by 45% the number of international passengers flying out of LSP.
The inaugural event was attended by regional authorities, and the airline’s staff, which will set base at the airport looking to open an air bridge between both countries.
We’re very pleased to expand our domestic and international routes out of this airport, the Governor said.
Clark also mentioned that his Government keeps an open relationship with Aruba, looking to strengthen the connectivity and the economies between both countries.
We have set the goal of becoming the country’s most important tourism destination, for both domestic and international travelers, he said.
In January, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure of all air, maritime, and commercial traffic to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.
Maduro accused the islands of running illegal operations by extracting from Venezuela gold, copper, food, medicines, and selling them overseas.
They take away gold from this country illegally, and make it legal to sell there, Maduro said.
I didn’t want to take a measure like this one, but I am ready to take even more radical measures, he added.
The blockade lasted almost three months.
Venezuelan Vice President, Tareck El Aissami, announced in April that his government would re-instate all air and sea traffic, following negotiations with the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok.
Today, after the diplomatic spat ended, Aruba Airlines has partnered with the Punto Fijo Airport and the Venezuelan Falcon State to open this route.
The Punto Fijo Airport is poorly served by Venezuelan carriers to domestic destinations. The airport is often deserted with very little connectivity.
However, not all frontiers have been opened up between both countries.
Flights to Aruba can only depart from three Venezuelan airports: Valencia (VLN), Maracaibo (MAR), and Punto Fijo (LSP); whereas flights to Curacao and Bonaire can only depart from Caracas (CCS).
With the re-opening of the Dutch Antilles frontiers, the Venezuelan government seems desperate to keep some of its international connectivity alive.
In April, Maduro also banned Panamanian flag carrier, Copa Airlines, from flying to Venezuela.
Panama’s government followed suit and banned all Venezuelan airlines from flying into the Central American country.
However, after considerable international pressure, Maduro announced that he was restoring flights to Panama as part of an agreement that he reached with President Juan Carlos Varela.
We have agreed to have the best bilateral relations and to channel differences in the best way possible, Maduro said.
In February 2017, El Aissami was placed on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklist.
According to the US Government, the Venezuelan Executive Vice President aided drug traffickers, therefore freezing all his assets in the United States.
The sanctioned list also includes President Nicolas Maduro.
According to the US Government, El Aissami allowed the shipping of narcotics from Venezuela and owned shipments of over 1,000 kg of Cocaine that left Venezuela to Mexico and the United States.
And just two days ahead of a fixed presidential election, the US Government announced further sanctions against Diosdado Cabello, the second-most powerful man in the country.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control claims that Cabello was also responsible for drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering and embezzling government money.
Aruba Airlines was founded in 2006, formally launching operations in 2012 after being awarded its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
The carrier leased its first two Airbus A320s and began flying to short destinations in Maracaibo and Panama City.
In 2016, the airline took delivery of its first Airbus A319, with which it launched flights to Miami (MIA) and Valencia (VLN).
In late 2017, the airline received two Bombardier CRJ-200s, adding up to one active Airbus A319, and one A320. The average age of its fleet amounts to 18 years.
Today, the airline flies to Bonaire, Curacao, Valencia, Maracaibo, Punto Fijo, and Miami.
But, in reality, the success of this niche route is highly unlikely.
Punto Fijo does not offer strong connecting traffic from other cities in Venezuela that require an international reach, strongly relying on point-to-point originating passengers.
And with fares as low as $235 for such a quick flight, a country that forbids transactions in US Dollars makes this new commercial service less likely to succeed.
Rumors are that Aruba Airlines is owned by a group that’s close to Venezuelan Government officials. Should it be true, the commercial rationale behind this niche route would be proven valid.
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