“Relief flight” to take home stranded US citizens tomorrow

The United States Embassy in Guyana has secured permission from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for another ‘relief flight’ this week to repatriate citizens currently stranded here amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
The Miami-destined Eastern Airlines flight has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2020, and will depart via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at 16:30h.
In a social media post, the Embassy said “We strongly encourage any US citizen wishing to depart Guyana to utilise this option or prepare to shelter in place. Eastern Airlines has opened reservations on their website for direct booking on a first-come, first-serve basis.”
The foreign mission, which has now closed its office and whose staff are working from home due to COVID-19, had encouraged persons to take advantage of this flight since it will not continue to offer these relief flights indefinitely.
Already, the US Embassy has facilitated some 800 citizens here to return home last month.
The last batch to leave Guyana was on March 28 via a chartered Eastern Airlines flight, which has a capacity for 200 passengers per flight.
According to a recent social media post by Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, over 50,000 Americans have been repatriated from more than 90 countries around the world since January 29.
Meanwhile, Canada and the United Kingdom have also been taking steps to repatriate its citizens from Guyana in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two foreign missions have been capitalising on the Eastern Airlines flights, urging their citizens to catch the flight to the US and then take a connecting flight home.
In fact, the Canadian High Commission has urged its citizens, who fulfil the US entry requirements, to take advantage of Tuesday’s flight to return to North America.
Only last Saturday the High Commission facilitated the repatriation of 28 citizens on two chartered Trans Guyana Airways flights to Barbados, from where they connected to Canada via an Air Canada flight.
British High Commissioner Greg Quinn in a social media post is also calling on UK citizens wanting to return home to also capitalise on the upcoming chartered flight.
“In recent days, the British High Commission has been working closely with the Embassy of the United States of America who have arranged this flight. We strongly recommend that you take this opportunity if you can. Further flights from Guyana are unlikely in the short term,” Quinn implored in the message on his Facebook page.
The British High Commissioner has cautioned, however, that persons who have been to the UK, European Union Schengen Area or the Republic of Ireland in the last 14 days will not be able to transit the US. He noted that persons will also require an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) to travel, which costs US$14 and can be applied for at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
“Please remember that in addition to this booking, you will need to book onward connections from Miami. You should be aware that this is a commercial arrangement and as such we cannot be responsible for delays or cancellations that might take place. We will, of course, let you know without delay should we hear anything that might impact your journey,” Quinn added.
British citizens who have decided to go ahead and book Tuesday’s flight, are asked to inform the High Commission here via email: [email protected]
Like the US Embassy, staff of the British High Commission are currently working remotely at the office but are available 24/7 via the office lines.