No direct flight is available from GEO to JFK for the entire month of August

You mean I have to stop in Trinidad?  

This weekend I spoke with some Guyanese at a store on Liberty.  They were all outraged at the high price and unavailability of flights.  The GOG needs to do something now because they're losing precious $$ that these visitors will bring to the economy, and they're discouraging visitors.    

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Executives are being urged to understand their role in the Guyanese market and to desist from the abuse and exploitation in terms of airfares that Guyanese are asked to pay coming into Guyana.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali reiterated this call on Tuesday while he placed an open invitation to CAL Executives to come to Guyana for an urgent meeting.

“I have instructed the GTA Director to call in the new CEO and Chairman of the board to meet with us no later than next Friday. We are taking this issue very seriously and I have also advised my colleague Minister that my position would be a re- examination of the status that was given to them if the situation does not correct itself in a timely manner.”

As to the major causes for concern and the important issues to be addressed at the engagement, Minister Ali pointed to the exorbitant ticket prices levied on Guyanese passengers coming from New York, Toronto and Trinidad, calling it “unacceptable, atrocious and disgusting  and against the  spirit of agreement in terms of CAL being a flag carrier”.

He opined, “I personally am aware of persons who would have bought tickets at an enormous price to come to Guyana. If you compare this to the prices other persons are paying from Trinidad, I find this to be a situation of abusing the present monopoly that they have in Guyana, and they do have a monopoly; this is why they are taking us for granted, they are taking this market for granted and they are reaping in great profits maybe to make up for the deficiency in other markets.”

Further, the Tourism Minister also addressed the numerous complaints reaching his office over the treatment of Guyanese using the carrier, particularly as they intransit in Trinidad and Tobago by CAL staff and service agents.

Alluding to the most recent incident, where a flight out of  Piarco International Airport was delayed for close to half an hour,  after a New York-based Guyana national was escorted off the aircraft for alleged abusive behaviour, Minister Ali noted that to date CAL  has not submitted an official statement on the matter.

“We cannot accept this; this cannot be in the interest of their business and in the interest of them having flag carrier status for Guyana I intend to pursue the matter and the long, tedious harassment and delay that Guyanese go through as a result of CAL operation issues in Trinidad.”

As to the impending entry of Fly Jamaica into the Guyana market and the possibility of this airline sharing Flag carrier status, Minister Ali confirmed this and expressed the hope that Guyana will add a new airline very shortly. (GINA)

They should have never given CAL flag carrier status....this whole airline business to Guyana is a total mess

you can always use a balloon ramotar say in 3 yrs guyana will be a develop country you stupid morons

It seems as though the GOG is finally listening to the travelling public.

GOG does not have a voice  nor any position within CAL.

Who decided to give CAL this Status and Why?

I never understood why Guyana gave up it's travel sovereignty to TT.  BWIA/CAL treated Guyanese like dirt but we had GAC.  I used BWIA once and was treated like I'm begging for a free trip.  I must say, I admired the PNC, with all the problems, they kept GAC which gave Guyanese pride and independence. 

I'm gonna see if ma buddy GerHard wanna go in business with Iman and we gonna start building planes outta GreenHeart with some low profile Balata wheels.

People should start driving to Guyana. It's a scenic route.

Why?

Now go and tell Guyanese living in Canada that they will not be able to fly nonstop to Guyana when you have finished.

I assume you endorse Fly Guyana which will start flying in December 2013 and stop on October 2014, leaving scores of Guyanese stranded.

Flights to Guyana are always full in August.  Whats new?   Bet you that Trinidad is full too.

If your PPP didnt waste money building huge airports and instead focused on attracting major airlines there would not be this problem.

As to your praise for GAC like you forgot how BW got into the GEO market in the first place, despite forcing people to change planes in POS.  GAC was habitually late and canceled flights because they had ONE PLANE.

BTW when last I checked CAL was charging $1,000 from JFK to GEO and $900 fromn JFK to POS.

If I were a Trini I would be mad vexed that because the PPP cannot attract major carriers to GEO that Guyanese are packing up every CAL flight and so Trinis must also pay outrageous fares.

Now go and tell the PPP to get Jetblue into GEO and stopping crying blue murder.  Its a fact of life that when supply of a product is low relative to demand then prices go up.  So airfares to Guyana and Tdad from JFK are very high this year.

Trinidad is full too.  Sorry.  Guyanese packing flights, the nonstops and via POS, so Trinis have to fly home via Miami.

Or fly business class.