Guyanese will now have easier access to flights to the United Kingdom (UK), with British Airways set to make its introduction to the Guyanese market on Tuesday, March 28.
The announcement of the airline’s arrival was made by the Cheddie Jagan International Airport (CJIA) via a notice published on their Facebook page yesterday, where it was dubbed as a “much anticipated event in aviation history”.
The initial announcement of the introduction of the UK’s largest airline was made by Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill on August 10 last year during a press conference at the CJIA. It was there that he also revealed that the flights are slated to commence in the first quarter of 2023 and the sale of tickets was to commence that very day. Minister Edghill had also revealed that the government is hoping to have Guyana become a major link between South America and Europe.
Last year’s announcement of its arrival came shortly after an engagement between President Irfaan Ali, Tourism Minister, Oneidge Walrond and officials of British Airways in London in early 2022. It was noted that the announcement is great news for Guyana’s travel and tourism industry which faced tremendous growth while recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
With operations set to commence in eight days, Guyanese should know that flights will occur twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) from the Gatwick International Airport in London to the CJIA. According to the notice by the CJIA, the airline will be using its 777-200ER, which was said to have a capacity of up to 332 passengers.
It must also be noted that the flights will not be non-stop, as the airline’s service to Guyana is a “tag on” to its direct flight service to St. Lucia. This means that persons will first board at the CJIA at Timehri, and will then fly to the Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia, where they will be transported to the Gatwick Airport in London.
