Another air link service for Guyanese
By Wendella Davidson
THE Guyanese travelling public will, within a week, have another airline service boasting non-stop flights to New York. North American Airlines (NAA), a United States charter airline, will on July 16, become the latest air service to arrive on the Guyana scene with an inaugural flight from New York, United States of America. The carrier, with ten years of service, is expected to arrive at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri at 16:20 hours on Friday, July 16. With a 757 aircraft offering seating accommodation for 185 passengers, (22 catered for in the Business Class and 163 in Economy Class) North American Airlines will fly twice weekly, Mondays and Fridays, non-stop from Georgetown to New York. The new service has an attractive introductory fare of US$399 for a 60-day return ticket, plus tax. Ms Jennifer De Barros, a former General Manager (acting) with the now-defunct Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC), will head the Georgetown office, which is located at CARA SUITES, 176 Middle Street. She will be ably assisted by Sales Manager, Mr Junior Horatio, formerly Commercial Manager with GAC. In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle yesterday, De Barros emphasised that reliability, courteousness and on-time departures and arrivals, complete with baggage, will be the prized hallmark of NAA. She added that plans are in train to make these features evident from the inauguration of the New York/Guyana route. According to the schedule, the NAA flight will depart New York on Mondays at 10:45 hours, and will arrive in Guyana at 16:20 hours. The carrier will spend approximately one hour and 50 minutes on the ground at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, before departing Guyana at 18:10 hours with an Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) at JFK Airport of 11:45 hours. On Fridays, the expected time of departure (ETD) from JFK for NAA is 02:00 hours, and arrival time in Guyana is 07:35 hours. The aircraft will leave the Cheddi Jagan Airport again at 09:25 hours to arrive at JFK at 14:55 hours. The airline will operate from the JFK-IAT Terminal 4W, which it shares with other international airlines `Balkan', `Air Ukraine' and `Uzbekistan Airways'. Mr Horatio disclosed that the schedules were so designed to give the customer as many options as possible, adding that the weekend arrangement is "excellent" for local business persons. North American Airlines, which is based in New York, has as its President Mr Dan McKinnon, a former Chairman of the US Civil Aeronautics Board. The airline boasts a fleet of four aircraft and an experienced crew among which are Guyanese. Remarking that NAA is no a "stranger to Guyana", Ms De Barros explained that NAA aircraft had provided back-up service for GAC on numerous occasions. The senior airline official also added that North American will prove to Guyanese that it will not be a `flash in the pan' airline. She assured that North American Airlines, will "deliver what we promise". Mr Horatio pointed out that NAA, which had applied to the Guyana Government for approval to operate a service here, has since then filed programmes from June 24 to the year 2000. Drawing attention to a catchline in the airline's brochure, which states, "An Airline With The Reputation As the Best of the Best", De Barros, who has 29 years' experience in the airline business, remarked confidently "our experience will make the difference". Horatio, she noted, has some 25 years of experience in the field. Ms De Barros believes that North American Airlines has a unique niche in the marketplace that provides flights for El Al Israel Airlines, between NAA's New York base at JFK International Airport and Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and other cities. "In addition," she said, "NAA flies international overseas charter flights to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Europe, Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Azores, the Middle East, and charter flights for major clients like Club Med, US and foreign military charters, as well as the White House Press Corps."
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