Unscheduled /charter flight operators falsely advertising as scheduled services- GCAA Chairman

Last Updated on Monday, 18 August 2014, 0:30 by GxMedia

The Chairman of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Hugh Denbow Sunday night said a number of operators have been fooling passengers that they are scheduled carriers operating to and from this South American country.

“These operators present the greatest challenges to the regulatory agency because of their lack of knowledge and understanding of the rules governing charter,” he said.

Addressing a reception at the Ogle International Airport for the arrival of a brand new Cessna Caravan for Jag’s Aviation, a subsidiary of the BK Group of Companies, Denbow said aircraft operators who are licensed by the state of registry to conduct charter and unscheduled services to Guyana were advertising here as offering scheduled services. “To make matters worse, no one even at GCAA seem to know and understand the difference and does nothing to correct this false advertising,” he said.

Denbow explained that airlines are either designated by the State of Registry or are granted scheduled services right by the State of Guyana through GCAA after satisfying economic, technical and safety requirements.

The GCAA Board Chairman listed Caribbean Airlines, Fly Jamaica, Suriname Airways, COPA, LIAT (1974) Limited and Insel Air as the airlines operating scheduled services. “All others are unscheduled or charter operators whereby an agency or an individual can approach an aircraft owner to operate one or a series of charter flights on their behalf,” he said.

BK Group has invested US$3 million in the take-over of Jag’s Aviation and the purchase of the Caravan, the first brand new aircraft since the 1970s when Canada had donated two brand new Twin Otters planes to Guyana.

He later told Demerara Waves Online News that charter services that have been holding out themselves as scheduled carriers could run into insurance difficulties in certain situations. Sources said the GCAA could go as far as banning the operation of such services.

DemWaves was told that the GCAA has already instructed Travel Span to cease advertising itself as an airline because it is a travel agency that has contracted Vision Air to fly to Guyana. The source added that Dynamic Airlines, which is yet resolve its difficulties in New York before resuming flights to and from Guyana, is also a charter service.