GCAA to sign open skies agreement with 2nd African nation

…as flights to Germany become easier

In its bid to not only improve tourism but to boost Guyana’s connectivity with other countries, specifically African countries, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is gearing up to sign another open skies agreement, this time with the African country Tanzania.
This was recently related to Guyana Times by the Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Field during an exclusive interview.
Field explained that Guyana is preparing itself for massive tourism influx with the signing of such agreements.
He noted that already the Agency has signed open skies agreement with other South American countries which will allow for more airlines to fly here as well.
“We’ll improve connectivity in the Region, especially with the South American

region by reaching out to sign more air services agreements with the various states, because having air services agreements that is the foundation or the platform which the airlines will be able to ride on,” the Director said.
On that note, it was pointed out that the GCAA has already inked an agreement with Brazil and Ghana which will allow for direct flights to those countries as well as it also gave clearance for any airline which wishes to fly here from those countries.
“At the last conference we had, the air-transport conference, Guyana signed an agreement with Ghana and Ghana is very excited about that because they are looking to open up their country”, Field noted.
At that conference, he had also disclosed that the Authority is seeking to sign more of such agreements with Columbia and other African states such as Tanzania and Nigeria, with the aim of having as many airlines as possible entering Guyana.
He was keen to note that the inked agreements are in keeping with this year’s theme of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) with regards to connectivity.
When it comes to a time span for those agreements, Field said the required framework is already in place and is presently waiting to be finalised.
Plans for these important air services agreements were first announced early in November at the launch of the ICAO Air Transport meeting which was held in Guyana at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, between November 21 and 23 , 2018.
The announcement was made by the Director, Air Transport Management, Saheed Sulaman.
He said, “We are always looking to develop relationships with all ICAO member states. It’s the only way we can connect to those states and it’s the only way our airlines can get connected to those states so I’d say yes we are looking to develop relationships with those countries and not only those countries in Africa but in Asia, in Europe, we are looking to develop relationships with those countries as well”.
Asked if he believes the market will be a feasible one, the Director noted that although there might not be enough traffic to operate “you got to start somewhere.”
He had explained that the present flight system in Guyana allows for a person to fly to Africa, only after arriving in Europe or the United States. Sulaman pointed to the fact that the flights will be beneficial in promoting tourism in Guyana.
It was clarified that although Guyana is seeking to have direct flights to Africa, the option of having small stops in between has not been wiped off the table.
“We are awaiting final confirmation from the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Ghana on their availability to sign an air services agreement… we’ve already done our work and we are awaiting their confirmation.”
During this year’s budgetary debates, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin boasted of a 17 per cent increase in visitor arrivals up to September, when compared with figures during the same period last year.
Gaskin deemed the increase as good news for the country as it adds to the economy.

Flights to Germany
Just in time for Christmas! An Interline Agreement was on Wednesday inked between a German airline Condor (Thomas Cook Group) and LIAT flights from Germany to Guyana which makes flights easier and more convenient for passengers using this route.
The Interline Agreement is one between individual airlines which is drafted to handle passengers traveling on itineraries that require multiple flights on multiple airlines.
It allows passengers to use coordinated flight connections and checked-through luggage and affords cheaper tickets year-round.
In this case, the contract will allow travellers from Europe to enjoy an easier and more comfortable connection to Guyana. In addition to Germany and Guyana, countries such as Austria and Switzerland will be able to reap the benefits of this agreement. The proposed connections will run through Antigua, making it a smoother connection to Georgetown, Guyana without passengers losing much travel time waiting for connecting flights, a statement from the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) said.
Moreover, passengers flying into the Caribbean can continue their journey and arrive in Guyana the same day. This means that time will be saved as overnighting in a connecting country will no longer be required.
The Director of GTA said, “We are extremely excited about this new route. Increased air connectivity to Guyana will allow more travellers to access the country and its rich natural and cultural heritage and adventurous experiences. This is a substantial step in connecting our European travellers, which is one of our key core markets, to Guyana”.