…with launch of airline
By Vahnu Manikchand
The BK International Group of Companies officially launched its JAGS Aviation airline on Monday afternoon at the Ogle International Airport (OIA), promising to help promote tourism.
At a simple ceremony at the Wings Aviation Hangar, the airline was launched before a host of dignitaries. The airline will be providing domestic services to interior locations with a brand new aircraft recently added to its fleet. The Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX, valued some US$3 million, has a seating capacity of 13, excluding the pilot. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and is fully air conditioned.
The BK Group is no stranger to the transportation sector with a history in the minibus and marine sub-sectors. However, its entry into the aviation industry is the vision of the younger Tiwari generation, who will be leading the airline.
One of the Directors, Briony Tiwari, told the gathering that they saw the potential of Guyana’s tourism product and wanted to invest; hence, the acquisition of JAGS Aviation. She disclosed that the BK Group had acquired JAGS three months ago and began immediately investing in the company with a fleet expansion programme. This, according to the Director, saw staff receiving training overseas and the recruitment of new personnel. Tiwari pointed out that the new Cessna Grand Caravan is outfitted to provide the highest standard of comfort for passengers. The Director assured that her company will be continuing its efforts to improve the aviation sector by investing in new aircraft and higher standards of operations and customer care.
In addition, she pledged her commitment to investing in promoting the country’s tourism sector. “You will also see substantial investment in the promotion of Guyana as a destination for international and domestic tourism… we want to encourage everyone in the tourism and transportation sectors to work together to quickly bring Guyana’s tourism infrastructure to the place where we are hosting a substantial amount of tourists each year,” she stated.
The young airline director noted that they are currently using the facility of Wings Aviation; however, they are currently engaged in negotiations for land to build a new hangar.
In delivering his feature address, President Donald Ramotar pointed out that for too long Guyana has been the best kept secret, but it is now putting its tourism products out there. He highlighted the importance of air transportation for the various sectors, particularly mining.
According to the President, milestones such as this are possible after Government would have invested in the sector. On this note, he mentioned the importance of proper facilities referencing the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion Project.
