An air link between Guyana and Aruba is expected to be enhanced following the inking of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which paves the way for the furthering of air transport connectivity between the two countries.
Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA), Egbert Field and Acting Director-General of Aruba’s Department of Civil Aviation, Anthony Kirchner signed the agreement on Thursday afternoon on the sidelines of the ongoing International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Air Transport meet here at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre at Liliendaal.
Field said that the inking of the deal comes after a lengthy process, in which temporary approval was given Aruba Airlines after it decided to operate here, while the process for the establishment of the agreement was being worked out.
He said the GCAA believes in the open-skies policy, which is a global strategy surrounding the liberalisation of the rules and regulations of the international aviation industry, as it forms the basis on which airlines can operate.
“These things must be in place so that an airline from another State from which our State may have agreements or MOU can apply and then be given the necessary approval and right to fly the route,” he said.
Field said invitations have been extended to any airline which wishes to operate in Guyana. “We invite them to apply, because the doubling of air traffic will surely be a boost for them,” he added.
Kircher told witnesses to the signing of the agreement that the event signals a start of negotiations for further MOUs and agreements to be signed, as it provides for the development of the economies of both countries.
He noted, too, that a lot of thought went into the working out of the details of the MOU, and that while there are no straight flights, he hopes that there can be one between Guyana and Aruba with the help of Aruba Airlines.
“This agreement will definitely be the start of further agreements in the future,” he added.
Local carrier, Roraima Airways, which provides ground handling services to Aruba Airlines at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, was recognised for its role in the establishment of relations between the two aviation umbrella bodies which led to the agreement.
