US cancels Dynamic Airways’ Guyana operations
As recent as last Friday, the United States authority on aviation, Department of Transportation (DOT) published its list of Public charters for 2014 and Dynamic Airways’ operation on the Georgetown/ New York route was listed as being cancelled; effective August 6; two days before it was scheduled to re-enter the Guyanese market.
Dynamic
Dynamic Airways which recently entered Guyana’s aviation sector had to “temporarily” terminate its services after it was unable to operate out of the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The company’s last flight out of Guyana was on July 15, but it was optimistic about returning to the market by August 8.
However, there has been no word to the Guyanese public about the cancellation and when the service might be back up. In an interview with the company’s local representative, Captain Gerry Gouveia last Sunday told Kaieteur News that the company is looking at a November restart in Guyana, since there are many outstanding issues that the company has to address.
Gouviea told the publication that he recently returned from the US where he engaged in a meeting with top and senior company executives, and the issue of moving the company back to Guyana was discussed. He added that along with his senior staffers, Dynamic’s local partner, Roraima Airways, has developed a task force to work on the re-implementation of the service, given that all goes well in the company’s quest to reclaim US authorization to operate out of Guyana.
Gouviea explained also that he will ensure that all matters pertaining to operations will be addressed, “I will make sure we cover all the bases. Before I couldn’t do it, I was not a part of the company. I would have been presumptuous.” However, Dynamic, according to Gouveia, is still committed to the Guyanese market.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said that Dynamic Airways informed that it would be suspending services and hopes to restart later in the year. Director General of the GCAA Zulphicar Mohamed told Kaieteur News that the company is conducting chartered flights.
During the company’s introduction to the Guyanese market; its promoters were adamant in their address to media workers that the company was conducting scheduled flights.
Mohamed said that Dynamic is authorized by the American authorities to operate chartered flights to Guyana while they are awaiting clearance to further function as a scheduled operator. The Director added that Dynamic has advised the Authority that it is facing the same problem which is related to the loss of its ground handler. He explained that in the US, airline charters are attached to an airport authorized handling service which would secure time slots and gate positions. The loss of the handler complicated operations out of NY for Dynamics.
The company’s inaugural flight was marred with delays and strict security interventions in the US. Passengers had been escorted by security personnel and were later subjected to in-depth searches on their belongings.
The company was then selling tickets to JFK but was landing at alternate airports and shuttling passengers via bus to JFK. When the plane pulled out of Guyana, passengers were left stranded and were asked to pay for return flights to the US and Guyana with a promise of being repaid.
Passengers however complained that they were facing difficulty in getting their monies refunded. One man had told this newspaper that he was seeking legal advice since apart from the constant back and forth to get his money; he was paid less in local currency than the return flight to Guyana had cost.
