interCaribbean Airways (JY, Providenciales) is at risk of being sanctioned by the Guyana government if the carrier does not avoid prolonged flight delays and cancellations, according to Minister of Works Juan Edghill, who oversees civil aviation in the South American country.
He told Demerara Waves Online News that top government officials, including representatives of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), had met with interCaribbean Airways last week to address repeated concerns by travellers about flight cancellations and delays, to be told the airline faced internal staff issues. He claimed the airline had promised improved operations at Bridgetown, Barbados, plus additional aircraft to avoid delays. "If they don't fulfil those obligations that they made last week Thursday, we will have to step in and take additional actions or possible sanctions," he said but declined to elaborate further.
"InterCaribbean came to Guyana advocating a particular service. We expect them to provide that service."
He said interCaribbean was told to improve its service rather than simply making excuses. "The airlines cannot just make money, and people suffer. They have to be able to have the social contract with the passengers fulfilled. That was strongly communicated, and we expect the change, but if that does not happen, we have to go to the next level," he reiterated.
Asked whether the government would ban interCaribbean from the Guyana route, Edghill said: "I don't want to go there right now", adding the government was keen on preserving connectivity but "we want a better service". "While we're reaching out for better service, we will not allow Guyanese to be short-changed," he said.
ch-aviation has reached out to interCaribbean Airways for comment. On July 20, the airline issued a statement apologising for flight interruptions and "communication lapses" that caused frustration and inconvenience for passengers across the network, blaming "unforeseen temporary staffing issues". "We are making every effort to mitigate future disruptions," it stated.
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, the airline operates twice daily five times weekly and daily seven times weekly between Barbados and Georgetown Cheddi Jagan, Guyana, with 50-seater EMB-145LRs. Its biggest competitor on the route is Caribbean Airlines (BW, Port of Spain), which holds almost 40% market share in weekly airline seats at Georgetown Cheddi Jagan, is closely followed by US carriers American Airlines and JetBlue Airways, and Surinam Airways and British Airways, according to ch-aviation capacities data.
In June, interCaribbean announced it was adding seven ATR42-500s to its fleet, which would be phased in over the next months. It also announced the implementation of a better communication system to enhance passenger notifications.
interCaribbean Airways began commercial flights to Guyana in December 2021, in what was widely regarded as a much-improved replacement for LIAT (Antigua and Barbuda) (Antigua), which had scrapped many routes due to financial struggles.
