Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill says that he is not in receipt of any confirmation that Eastern Airlines has discontinued service to Guyana. He told the Guyana Standard moments ago, that all the entity communicated was that it had scaled down its operations.
The Minister was contacted after the Office of the Leader of the Opposition (OLO), said that it had received a “barrage” of complaints from “irate” stranded passengers of Eastern Airlines who were told by the airline that it has “suddenly discontinued its service to Guyana”.
The OLO claims that the passengers were given no notice by the airline of this decision, and several of them are now stranded in Guyana unable to make their way back to the United States to return to their families and jobs. It is also calling on the government to urgently address this issue and ensure that all the passengers who have been “thrown into tumult are compensated and adequately taken care of in terms of their return flight”.
The office noted that Eastern Airlines was granted permission to commence flights to Guyana from the United States in 2020 and had been doing so without incident under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.
The OLO added that the Coalition government had ensured that bonds were in place, and stressed that the PPP/C not release same until all Guyanese are fully repaid.
Edghill told this publication that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is in contact with management of Eastern Airlines, and conversations are ongoing. He said that before the day is out, there will be much more clarity.
He cautioned the Leader of the Opposition from making ‘misleading’ statements, and to seek clarity “before causing unnecessary panic”.
