GA2000 to increase destinations
GUYANA Airways 2000 (GA2000), which this month added Miami to its station destinations, is to introduce another three to four destinations shortly. In addition, the airline now has the benefit of a second wide-bodied, A-300 AirBus for its scheduled flights to North America. Chairman of GA2000, Mr Yesu Persaud made the announcement Saturday evening at a reception hosted at Le Meridien Pegasus. He also spoke of the introduction of the additional carrier for the airline. Among dignitaries in attendance were: Minister of Information, Mr Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Sita; members of the diplomatic corps; special guests from the business community and travel industry in Florida and Georgia; former West Indies star batsman Rohan Kanhai; local business personalities; GA2000 executives including Chief Executive Officer, Mr Anthony Mekdeci and other senior staffers. Persaud, who called for increased "mutual understanding and a little more togetherness" among the partners, said the airline has come a long way and is "here for the long term". He recalled among other things that when the airline began operations a number of its competitors spelt doom for the national carrier and some three months after claimed that it was cash-strapped. But Persaud gave the assurance that all is well with the airline, and that its traffic response has been overwhelming. He noted one disappointment, which occurred on Thursday last when passengers experienced difficulty in receiving their luggage due to the malfunctioning of the conveyor belt. Noting that the fault was that of the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) and not the airline, Persaud said he hopes there will not be a recurrence of this problem. He urged that the authorities be more diligent particularly during the upcoming peak season when the traffic is expected to increase. Minister Nagamootoo in brief remarks, admitted that he was among the sceptics who wondered about how well GA2000 would fare when it commenced operations in July this year. But according to him, in the short period the airline has "soared higher and higher" and reiterated a sentiment expressed by Minister Anthony Xavier, who told a reception in New York that the passengers are "the winds beneath the sail." Minister Nagamootoo, who reassured the airline's executive of Government's commitment, called on all Guyanese to rally around GA2000 in its recovery. CEO Mekdeci in his remarks, said the challenge now for GA2000 is to expand into new markets and offer even more reliable and improved services and guarantee sustainable profitability for investors. To this end, he said, "we look to our Government partner to help us meet this challenge", adding that the governments of other Caribbean territories support their national airlines. He noted: "From the very inception, the Government as our partner, has provided tremendous support to ensure the viability of the airline. We must compete, however, with the long-established foreign and regional airlines, which have both the blessing, and in most cases, the financial backing of their governments." Alluding to the investment, the CEO said it came at a "cost" especially in the early phase of its operation, in providing a high quality service and expanding passenger capacity to meet maximum demand. Mekdeci recalled how Guyanese, just a few months ago, were in despair when the defunct Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC) terminated its services. "We were left as a nation and people completely dependent on foreign airlines. We had no choice. Booking flight passages to North America became a nightmare," he added. But he noted all that has changed with the launching of GA2000, adding that the wide-bodied A-300 Airbus is "superior to any aircraft operated out of Guyana today." Mekdeci said, too, GA2000 offers a passenger service second to none and that passenger response has been tremendous. "We have surpassed the market share held by GAC in its best years to both New York and Toronto, after only a few months of operation." The CEO proudly noted that GA2000 has been responsible for providing a competitive alternative to foreign airlines. "...our entry into the market has resulted in a substantial reduction in passengers' airfares and freight costs out of Guyana to North America. Airfares now are the lowest that anyone can remember and there are no longer waiting lists to get a seat," Mekdeci said. Like the previous speakers, the CEO of GA2000 also urged Guyanese to support their national carrier. (Wendella Davidson)
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