Travelspan Schedule to Guyana

– no word on possible resumption

By Zena Henry
The US- registered charter company TravelSpan is expected to suspend its New York/Georgetown, flight service later this month, sources within the company told Kaieteur News yesterday. According to information, the company and its carrier provider, Vision Airlines, are apparently in dispute over reimbursement for several delays which the travel agency faced during the recently ended peak summer season.
TravelSpan’s last flight out of Guyana is expected to be on Saturday, but there has been no word yet as to when and if service will resume.
A senior manager at the travel agency told Kaieteur News yesterday that the charter company and its carrier provider Vision Airlines are reportedly in dispute since the travel agency is demanding compensation for the delays experienced less than a month ago.
The manager told the newspaper that the carrier provider would have caused the travel agency to encounter much difficulty when it failed to keep its obligation to provide flights at designated times. As a result, the travel agency experienced numerous delays and passengers were even stranded.
It was explained that the work contract between the two agencies allegedly stipulate that reimbursement is paid by the carrier provider for delays, but this is apparently not being done, the manager explained. Service will therefore be suspended until the matter is resolved.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) told Kaieteur News that it has already been notified of the pending suspension and a meeting between the oversight body is expected in a few days with the travel agency.
GCAA related that it is not privy to the difficulty being faced by the agency and cannot yet say the reason for its pullout. They however expect to have this information given the upcoming meeting. It was explained further that apart from the suspension, GCAA is also concerned and will be addressing the issue of tickets purchased in advance so that passengers are refunded.
TravelSpan, which is a charter company, uses the carriers of Vision Airlines and had experienced much difficulty during the busy summer season. Several irate passengers had flocked the company’s local and foreign offices trying to ascertain flying times or seeking refunds.
At the local office, police ranks had to be called in when passengers got rowdy and accused the company of failing to meet their obligations. The peak season is over and the company is reportedly looking for its compensation over the recent delays.
The company had recently trained 14 Guyanese flight attendants and had told the public that it was here to stay. In early 2003, Guyanese passengers were left stranded when the company had again pulled out of the market at that time. It was alleged that the lease for the carrier the company was using at that time had expired and the lessor had reclaimed its plane.