Friday February 15, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 7
- cites declining passenger loads, revenue A significant decline in passenger loads and by extension, loss of revenue, has been outlined in an official statement as the primary reason for the imminent departure of Delta Airlines from the local skies. Sarah Lora, Delta’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Latin American and Caribbean, stated that “Delta Air Lines will close its station in Georgetown, Guyana, discontinuing flights between the John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.” This development, according to the statement, will be effective from May 6, 2013, due to poor performance of the route. It was also indicated that although Delta would prefer to continue serving the market, flights between Georgetown and New York’s JFK International Airport have experienced a notable “decline in passenger loads and revenues for the past 18 months, leading to
unsustainable losses.” As a result, the statement confirmed that “we have made the difficult decision to eliminate our Georgetown service to better focus our resources on profitable markets.” Moreover, Delta said that it will proactively contact customers booked on the Georgetown to JFK flights after May 6, 2013, who have provided full contact information in their reservations to arrange alternate transportation or full refunds. Customers, the statement added, can contact Delta Reservations at 1-800241-4141 while customers calling directly from Guyana can do so on 1-800-221-1212. Earlier this week, reports surfaced that high fuel cost was one of the reasons that the airline, which has been serving Guyana since 2008, was forced to halt its operation in Guyana. Reports of the airline’s plans to suspend its services made headlines in the local news after customers who visited the company’s office to make reservations were
turned down. They were informed that flights between Guyana and New York would be suspended some time before May. Government officials as well as representatives from the United States-based carrier were at the time tightlipped about the development and there were reports that officials from the
airline had not officially notified the Government of Guyana about its decision to stop flying the New York/ Georgetown route. However, officials from the Tourism Ministry were said to be informed via sources late last week. Kaieteur News was told that the Minister of Tourism, Irfaan Ali, after learning about
the airline’s decision, had called for an emergency meeting with the airline’s board members. When attempts were made by this publication to contact the airline earlier this week the General Manager, Sarah Lora, would only assert then that “Delta Airlines has not confirmed flights for the JFKGEO route beyond May of
2013. As soon as we have a decision we will communicate the status of the flights.” True to her word, a statement was issued yesterday. Delta Airlines has over the years become known for offering more than 478 weekly flights to 58 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.