Guyana eyes new airline service

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

The Guyana government is welcoming the introduction of a new airline that will offer low fare services to Guyana and the Caribbean.

Two senior officials of the airline, Airone, met with President Bharrat Jagdeo to discuss the new venture that will be launched in Barbados later this year.

A government statement issued afterwards said that Airone will initially be using the Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados route.

Caribbean benefit

Business development director Ian Burns said that the venture, which has been on the drawing board for the past four years, was designed to ensure Caribbean consumers benefited from the growth in the aviation industry worldwide.

"The rest of the world has benefited considerably ... the Caribbean hasn't benefited from that growth and the missing link has been a low-fare airline," Burns said.

In recent months, President Jagdeo has been lamenting what he described as the "unconscionable monopoly" on airfares charged by some airlines and, at one stage, had even considered Guyana reintroducing its own airline to deal with the situation.

He said in order for Guyana to benefit from an open economy, there was need for airline and other services that were appropriately priced.