NEWS
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thursDay, june 5, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com
TravelSpan not intimidated by increasing competition
– sends 14 to Las Vegas to be trained as flight attendants By Reuben Stoby
G
uyanese-owned airline TravelSpan is not intimidated by increasing competition and is confident nationals will continue to support the airline which they can consider their own. This is according to TravelSpan General Manager Vanita Jagnarain at a press conference on Wednesday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) where it was announced that TravelSpan will be sending 14 Guyanese to Las Vegas, Nevada to be trained as flight attendants. Caribbean Airlines, Fly Jamaica and TravelSpan are the three carriers plying the Georgetown-New York route with Dynamic Airlines set to launch its service in Guyana later this week.
Jagnarain stressed that TravelSpan has been receiving good support from Guyanese travellers ever since its return to service to Guyana in December. New scheduled flights from New York and Toronto are to be announced soon. Jagnarain explained that the airline’s incoming and outgoing flights have been 80 to 90 per cent and 100 per cent filled for certain holidays such as Easter and Mashramani. “It goes to show that the people want an alternative carrier, nobody wants to stop in the other destinations. People want to go non-stop. So no, we don’t feel threatened because we know the Guyanese people will support the carrier.” The General Manager also made the point that TravelSpan is basically a
Guyanese carrier, since it is owned by a Guyanese although the company is USbased. “And especially now that they have these beautiful and talented young individuals working, why would they not want to support these young individuals?”
Committed
Fourteen of the 30 individuals set to join that crew after being shortlisted for training in Las Vegas were introduced to the media before winging out to the US to start their three-week training today. The training will enable the participants to become certified flight attendants by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The final batch is expected to receive their training by the end of this month.
TravelSpan General Manager Vanita Jagnarain
TravelSpan declined to give a figure on the cost of the overseas training for the 30 individuals, only saying that the initiative was a costly one.
On the question of preventing their flight attendants from being lured by other airlines once they are certified, Jagnarain noted that the flight attendants for other airlines are not based in Guyana. She also said she was “confident that these individuals are committed to TravelSpan and we have received their assurance that they are committed”. Notably making up the 14-member group was former Miss Guyana Universe and Miss Guyana World Ruqayyah Boyer who told Guyana Times that her new pursuit will help her to continue being an ambassador for Guyana. Three males are also part of the group, including Yannick December, who said he is keen on proving that males can also make
good flight attendants. The airline said it received hundreds of applications from across the country and that those shortlisted hail from Bartica, Linden, Berbice and other areas. TravelSpan noted that this is not the first time it is training Guyanese to become FAA certified attendants, since it did so in 2007 before pulling out of Guyana in 2008. The airline returned in December with nonstop service between New York and Georgetown at a time when passengers were demanding an alternative carrier on the route after Delta pulled out and EZjet went out of business last year, following the demise of REDjet in 2012. TravelSpan recently added a new aircraft to its service.
Police to be tried in baton-rape saga
T
he two police officers, Roslyn Tilbury and Devin Singh accused and charged for assaulting and causing actual bodily harm to Colwyn Harding made their second court appearance before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Providence Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning. Speaking to Guyana Times via telephone, the defendants’ lawyer, Attorney Leslie Sobers (he represented the number one accused Devin Singh in the absence of his lawyer), related that the Police Prosecutor assigned to the case, Sergeant Shelon Daniels informed the Court that she wished to recuse herself from prosecuting her colleagues. “The Prosecutor indicated to the court that she did not wish to prosecute the matter because she was asked to give some statements... so the chances are that another person will be called to prosecute. And to
ensure that there is no likelihood of biasness, it will be fair for her to not prosecute the matter,” Sobers said. Sobers disclosed too that Singh confided in him that he had felt threatened and fearful for his life and this prompted his jumping of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts fence after being released on bail on Tuesday. “It was reported to me by Mr Singh because I acted as his lawyer, as his lawyer was absent and the two are charged jointly on one charge; he mentioned that as he was about to emerge from the chute of the court, someone who was holding a camera to his face; that person drew a knife. Upon seeing that, he ran back into the chute, back up the steps and into the court before he made his way out of the court and was caught on camera by the media,” the attorney disclosed. Asked whether he believes Singh’s statement, Sobers stated that he was
Colwyn Harding
not there at the time and he can only believe what was related to him. “I don’t know whether what Mr Singh is saying is true or not. I was walking with my client coming down the stairs because females do not go through the chute and as we were leaving I saw the journalists
running so I was left wondering what had happened, so I made it my duty to find out from Mr Singh what had transpired and that is what he disclosed to me. So I do not know what transpired,” he responded. The lawyer explained that the trial will commence on June 24 for the statements to be presented and the Prosecution has its work cut out, since he has requested that they make available to him all the witnesses’ statements which were submitted in the case so that they can be studied, including the statements of those persons who will not be called upon to testify. “The Prosecutor requested some time since she has a lot of statements to be photocopied and filed. The statements are usually filed
and given to the defence team and those involved in the case so that it can be studied and then after seven days, the matter will be sent to trial. They lost a lot of the statements and so this has not been done. I have made an application for the statements to be made available and I’m sure the other lawyer will do the same. The Prosecutor will have to decide who they are going to call to testify,” Sobers communicated. The two police officers first made their court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya
Sewnarine-Beharry but were released on bail. Tilbury and Singh were jointly charged with causing actual bodily harm, while Officer Singh was charged with common assault. Harding had alleged that he was raped by Singh with a condom-covered baton while he was in custody at the Timehri Police Station in November 2013. The officers will make their next court appearance at the Providence Magistrates’ Court on June 24 for the statements to be presented and examined.