October 2 ,2020
American Airlines will resume scheduled commercial flights to Guyana on November 4, an airline representative announced yesterday.
“We intend to return to GEO on Nov 4,” Corporate Communications representative Nichelle Tait told Stabroek News when asked about resumption of services here.
On Wednesday, government confirmed that the two international airports will reopen to commercial flights on October 12.
It is unclear when the other scheduled international carriers, Caribbean Airlines and COPA Airlines, will be returning.
Current COVID-19 measures restricting travel will continue until October 12 and from then on, passengers will require to be in possession of their negative PCR COVID-19 test results, taken within three days prior to their arrival here.
Anything above the three days will see them subjected to on-the-spot testing at the CJIA, where they will have to await their results before being allowed to leave the area.
However, American Airlines requires that you provide confirmation of being COVID-19 free two weeks before travelling. “When you check-in you’ll be asked to confirm you’ve been free of COVID-19 symptoms for the past 14 days. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick,” the airline requirements states.
The airline also requires mandatory face coverings, except for children under 2 years old. “If you decline to wear one, you may be denied boarding and future travel on American,” the airline warns.
Minister of Public Works responsible for aviation, Juan Edghill, had told this newspaper on Wednesday that government was in discussions with stakeholders to prepare for on-arrival testing for the virus and other measures for a swift reopening to scheduled commercial travel.
“The [Guyana Civil Aviation Authority] GCAA, CJIA, the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Task Force, along with us are engaged in discussions with all of the necessary stakeholders. Since the last directives were issued by GCAA, we are now aware that in country, we have capacity for testing on arrival. Those kind of finer details are being fine-tuned along with the airlines’ readiness to recommence scheduled commercial flights. As soon as those are completed, a date for the reopening for scheduled commercial flights will be announced,” Edghill had said.
“We want the airports opened as soon as is practical, ensuring compliance with the international guidelines set out by the Pan American Health Organization, WHO and international guidelines. We will follow all the protocols,” he declared.
Stabroek News understands that at least one private sector laboratory services provider, Eureka Labs, has the capacity for on-arrival testing and has expressed their readiness and availability.
The CJIA, sources say, has already identified an area which can be designated for the establishment of a sanitized testing space for arriving passengers.
Edghill confirmed that plans are on stream and said that the mechanism for payment for the tests is being worked out.
“We are waiting at this stage [for] indications from the airlines [of] their acceptance and agreement because the passengers will have to fund that testing on arrival. So the modus operandi of the collecting of the payments have to be worked out,” he explained.
