GA 2000 secures financing, switches from Airbus to 757
Guyana Airways (GA) 2000 has clinched the financing necessary to ensure its future development and will be replacing its current A300-600R airbus with a Boeing 757 aircraft in the first week of April. A statement from the company yesterday said that Nowrang Persaud has been seconded from Demerara Distillers Limited to GA 2000 as acting general manager. Advertisements for this position have been published locally and internationally. Senior management positions at the company's North American stations have also been advertised. GA 2000 Chairman Yesu Persaud said the company with the full encouragement and support of government and the commitment of its shareholders has secured the financing necessary to ensure future stability and development of the airline. No details were given on the financing secured. At an Editors press briefing recently, Persaud had said that GA was seeking bridging financing to see it through a difficult period. Persaud disclosed in the statement that the Boeing 757 would be wet-leased from Nordstress, the Australian company from which the Airbus had been leased. Nordstress would provide the pilots with GA 2000 cabin crew. There is also an option to convert to a dry-lease arrangement within six months with the aircraft being piloted by Guyanese. Nordstress would maintain the plane and provide a 24-hour replacement guarantee in the event of the aircraft experiencing an unscheduled withdrawal from service. With the introduction of the Boeing 757, GA 2000 would resume its four to five flights per week to New York and Toronto. GA 2000 has dropped its Miami route which it inaugurated last year. Low passenger load has been cited as the factor. Persaud noted in the statement that GA 2000 has code-sharing agreements with BWIA and Suriname Airways. He emphasised that for a small "national airline" to compete successfully against the growing international competition and return a profit on its operations it must be efficiently managed and depend on loyal and dedicated staff. As a result, there was a complete review of the company's organisation and staffing structure and operational priorities. Persaud noted that the 195-passenger aircraft is configured for business and economy class and was more suited to current passenger-ferrying demands and would maintain the company's non-stop services to New York and Toronto. Sources say the larger Airbus had proved to be a severe drain on the company's finances particularly in view of the low passenger figure on some of the flights out of Guyana. The former Chief Executive Officer Anthony Mekdeci along with several senior personnel of the company resigned over the last couple of months. The company during its restructuring had terminated the services of a number of employees. Aviation Investments Ltd, a private company which owns 51% of the company was launched in July last year.
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