St. John’s, Antigua (December 5, 2016) - Suriname registered air carrier, FlyAllways Airlines has been granted a permit to operate scheduled flights between Guyana, Barbados and Suriname to Antigua.
Senior Executive of the Airline, Franklin ‘Bobby’ Vieira, was recently in Antigua to finalise arrangements for the inaugural flight later this month.
While on island, Vieira paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister, The Hon. Gaston Browne and Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment & Energy, The Hon. Asot Michael, to apprise them of the intended service.
The Prime Minister and the Tourism Minister welcomed the addition of FlyAllways to the destination’s schedule and view the air carrier’s interest as a tangible expression of the positive continued upward trajectory of Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism product.
Minister Michael said, “Increasing the amount of airlines providing service to the destination is consistent with the Government’s tourism strategy for growing regional visitor arrivals.
“The additional lift provided by the airline, further strengthens Antigua and Barbuda’s positioning as the hub of the Caribbean, and will boost the V.C. Bird International Airport’s ability to continue facilitating the hassle free movement of travelers and offering flexible connections to a number of destinations from Antigua.
We are expecting that the new service will be especially impactful on the future travel plans of Caribbean Diaspora communities.â€
The airline which operates a Fokker 70 - 80 seater aircraft, currently stops in Antigua for refueling on its way to Haiti. The carrier also provides several weekly scheduled services between Suriname, Guyana and Barbados.
Also welcoming news of the latest carrier licensed to operate from the V.C. Bird International Airport were Attorney General, The Hon. Steadroy Benjamin and Minister of Trade, Industry and Commerce, The Hon. E.P. Chet Greene.
Minister Greene highlighted the fact that the carrier will also move a quantity of cargo, thus increasing the prospects of even regular consignments of cargo to the country from across the Caribbean.
Vieira presented the FlyAllways profile in a meeting at the Office of the Minister of Tourism, which was also attended by Minister Greene, Ambassador Dr. Clarence Henry - Trade Coordinator, Special Advisor to the Minister of Tourism - Richard "Ricky" Skerritt and the Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority - Colin James.
Vieira described his interaction with government officials, travel agents and airport service providers as very encouraging. He said the schedule services will commence in time for the Christmas holidays, and customers can book on line at
www.flyallways.com or through their travel agent.
