KINGSTON - The Government of Guyana is in talks with United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards negotiating an air service agreement that will see at least one of UAE’s three major flag carriers operating flights to Guyana, in the very near future.
On May 27, 2014, in the conference room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a delegation each from Guyana and the UAE, met for further discussions. The local delegation comprised officals from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Director General Zulficar Mohamed, GCAA Board Chairman Hugh Denbow, GCAA General Counsel, Amanza Desir and Air Transport Officer Saheed Sulaman; from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation, the Senior Aerodrome Officer, Alvin Majeed and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Senior Legal Adviser, Trishala Persaud. The team from UAE comprised from the UAE’s Federal Government, Director General, His Excellency (H.E) Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi and Air Transport Agreements Chief Specialist Valerie Browne and from the Department of Transport-Abu Dhabi, Senior Analyst-Government Affairs Saeed Al Suwaidi.
Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn formally opened discussions and expressed the Government of Guyana’s pleasure of having the opportunity for the negotiation and the signing of an air service agreement to foster better linkages between the two countries. Minister Benn further noted that the dialogue comes at a time when Guyana’s aviation sector, both at the domestic, regional and international level is expanding.
“There are opportunities, via Guyana, we expect and we intend for foreign countries and air service operators to use Guyana as a regional and international hub for the development of the aviation sector, and for the development of other economical and tourism and other linkages between the continents and specifically between the countries like Guyana and the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
Al Suwaidi in his opening remarks noted that it would have taken the UAE’s delegation days to travel to Guyana, “So the need to connect your country to our region is very important,” he said. He also reaffirmed his government’s openness to engage with the Government of Guyana on any future engagement in the aviation sector.
The UAE has close to 30 airlines with the largest three operating being the Emirate Airline, Air Arabia and Etihad Airways. The Emirate Airline is the largest in the Middle East, operating nearly 3,400 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 133 cities in 74 countries across six continents. The Air Arabia is a low-cost airline with its head office in the Sharjah Freight Center, Sharjah International Airport, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It operates scheduled services to 51 destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Europe to 22 countries from Sharjah, 28 destinations in 9 countries from Casablanca, Fez, Nador, Tangier and Marrakesh and 6 destinations in 4 countries from Alexandria. Its main base is Sharjah International Airport.
Etihad Airways, the flag carrier airline of the United Arab Emirates operates more than 1,000 flights per week to 96 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas, with a fleet of 85 Airbus and Boeing aircraft
