Travel Span launches NY run -eying flights to Caribbean, Canada
By Heppilena Ferguson
Stabroek News
December 1, 2006
Travel Span Chief Executive Officer Nohar Singh (left), General Manager Mark De Freitas (second from left) and Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad at the airline's launching here yesterday. (Jules Gibson photo)
Travel Span GT Incorporat-ed's inaugural flight from New York touched down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport yesterday bringing with it new competition in the aviation sector.
The Boeing 737-800, 164-seater jet landed some time after 1 pm and the visiting party, comprising the airline's board of directors, travel agents and media representatives from New York, received a hearty steel pan welcome and witnessed the unfurling of the Travel Span flag.
The factory-fresh jet and certified Guyanese carrier brings with it a series of in-flight comforts for passengers, hot meals and towels, plush seating and a flexible flight routine with plans to include many Caribbean destinations.
The airline allows online bookings and reservations and for Christmas it is offering a US$399 plus tax return package or US$299 one way plus tax.
Transport Minister, Robeson Benn at the airline welcoming reception in the airport's executive lounge extended his government's commitment to ensuring that any airline which operates from Guyana could assure its passengers safety and efficiency and can sustain its operations. "In Guyana we have a small miracle unfolding and that's our infrastructural development and we are glad that Travel Span could join us to have competitive flights and cheap rates and this could help us to develop our tourism and our economy as a whole," he added.
The Travel Span Boeing 737-800 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri for the first time yesterday. (Jules Gibson photo)
To back up this assertion, Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad noted that Guyana needs more airlines and made a call for other airlines to join the business. He however noted the "hitches" that Government has had to endure in the past with carriers like Universal Airlines.
"People come and have big ceremonies like these and by the next two or four years… passengers are left stranded and then the next thing you know there are no more flights," the minister cautioned as he alluded to the Universal Airlines debacle adding that he could not avoid mentioning it.
Universal Airlines had grave financial issues which affected dozens of passengers and left them stranded here in Guyana. Government was forced to delve into its escrow account to bail the passengers out of the unfortunate situation and was facilitated on BWIA flights. However to this day, some passengers remain without reimbursement as the escrow account dried up. However, he expressed gratitude to Travel Span for its investment and noted that its intervention was timely.
"You have added grace to the tarmac of this airport and with Christmas coming, Mashramani and Cricket World Cup coming next year and because last Christmas the other airlines had no competition this greatly hampered our arrivals for last year, but this year we anticipate over 30,000 persons coming home for the holidays," he said.
In this vein, he urged the airline to consider an early increase in the number of flights it would have.
"With CWC and after we would have won the cricket we want to make sure that some of our visitors that come for the cricket return to visit even after the cricket is over, especially the diaspora," he urged and stressed the need for Travel Span to ensure that its service is sustained.
Accepting the challenges thrown out by both ministers, Travel Span's Chief Executive Officer Nohar Singh said he was confident that the airline will be able to sustain its service to Guyana. He acknowledged however that the airline will have to set up a systematic business plan to ensure this. "We need to have this plan so our airline will have longevity and influence the change of the mindset of how some people see local carriers ... we need to be positive," he urged.
He pointed out that Travel Span Incorporated, the airline's sister company, has evolved to a point where it is now able to manage wherever it goes and is positive that there is no reason why the company would not be able to sustain itself with a viable operation.
"The Government was very insistent with the money that we had to lodge," he noted, and praised government for its perception regarding the role of the private sector in the development of the country as a whole.
Travel Span has lodged US$200,000 ($40M) with the state. Universal had only $17M in an escrow account at the time of its collapse.
Meanwhile, Singh has cautioned stakeholders in the industry to take into consideration the details of the marketplace in which airlines operate, since while the demand is high for only about four months of the year airlines are forced to sustain themselves all year.
"We must be persistent in encouraging competition, it is good and gives consumers more choices but we must be realistic".
"Stakes are in the airline industry but we have to consider the other carriers like BWIA, North American Airlines and the number of seats they have and sometimes it's a case where there are too many seats chasing too many passengers."
However Singh noted that Travel Span is looking at other destinations like Brazil, Venezuela and the Caribbean and "we intend to tap into these since this is our vision so we would be able to sustain our airline."
Additionally, Travel Span says it will work along with the tourism bodies locally to arrange packages for persons willing to visit Guyana, so complete packages could always be available.
"We will have frequency and dependability and most of all we want to offer an acceptable product and much of our focus is on tourism."
Travel Span in the initial stages will offer flights thrice per week to New York - Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Thursday and Monday flights are non-stop and Sunday flights will stop in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The airline also plans to launch its flights to Canada in the first quarter of 2007.
First impression
Travellers spoken to by Stabroek News were fascinated and impressed with the airline's standards and have expressed satisfaction with the way it has started off.
Michael Babwar who returned to Guyana on the inaugural flight after many years told Stabroek News that the airline's service was surprisingly excellent. "They have started out well and the whole reception by staff was great and I am looking forward to support the venture and hope that it stays alive," he said.
Another passenger Vivian Leonard shared the same sentiment, but shared his hope that the airline would not end up like Universal Airlines.
"The flight attendants were great and polite too and their plans for the future sound well and viable too, but I just hope they don't end up like another Universal Airlines. They started out just like them and then Universal Airlines … turned out to be a disappointment."
Donn Bobb who had not come to Guyana in many years also shared this view. He said the airline is worthy of commendation and believes too that Guyana needed a reliable airline and this would go a far way in encouraging people to come home knowing that they will be brought and taken back safely.
Travel Span GT Incorporated is banking on its 17 years of service in the aviation industry and its previous record of service in Guyana to boost its image. Back in 2002 Travel Span offered several chartered flights to the Caribbean.