Guyana says it will not revoke REDjet’s licence

April 9, 2012

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Guyana government leaves the door open for low cost carrier REDjet to resume its flights, saying it will not revoke the carrier’s licence.

Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon told reporters there’s no need for the country to take such action, the Demerara waves online news service has reported.

“I don’t know it’s possible that Guyana might, but then again we don’t have to because REDjet is not flying so we don’t need to. I don’t believe that you’re going to pile on unnecessary agony because once you revoke it you’ve got to go through the whole process of providing them once more with the licence.”

Luncheon’s comments follow those of Antigua and Barbuda’s Tourism Minister John Maginley, who said last Friday that his government is not contemplating withdrawing REDjet’s licence.

Four days after Redjet grounded its operations on March 16, Barbados, the home of the carrier, revoked its Air Operating License (AOC).

Details of Barbados’ action were revealed in a brief statement by the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) which said it had “no option” but to revoke REDjet’s licence because the airline no longer had a “valid” air operator’s certificate from Barbados.

“The suspension of REDjet’s AOC by the Barbados Civil Aviation Department (BCAD) would therefore invalidate Section 6 (1) (a) of the TTCAA regulations, which states that as one of the conditions to grant a provisional licence is that the carrier “…has a valid AOC issued by the foreign authority.”

Barbados’ Director of Civil Aviation, Mitchinson Beckles later explained that the decision to suspend REDjet’s AOC was in keeping with local air transport rules.

“The regulations state that if you are not meeting (operating) conditions, your certificate will have to be suspended or revoked,” he said.

Dr Luncheon confirmed that REDjet has been holding talks with Guyana and other regional governments in a bid to resume services.

“What we have experienced in our discourses with REDjet is some proposals dealing with improving the financing of the enterprise. I’m suspecting and reasonably so that that has also been taken to other governments in CARICOM for refinancing or support for refinancing and putting REDjet on a more sustainable financial and economic platform,” he said.

Barbados’ International Transport George Hutson revealed last week that the Freundel Stuart administration is examining new strategies to get the airline back into the air.

He said the government is contemplating granting REDjet a provisional licence which could be valid for at least year.