The Public Infrastructure Ministry, which has taken on the responsibility to compensate some 600 Dynamic Airways
passengers who were forced to use alternative air transport last year, recently published a list of the names of persons who are expected to be reimbursed, beginning on May 2.
According to the published notice, “refunds will be issued Mondays to Thursdays from 09:00h to 15:00h and Fridays from 09:00h to 14:00h at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Accounts Department, Fort Street, Kingston”.
The inconvenienced passengers are being asked to have in person their national identification card or passport along with proof of ticket purchase, whereby persons making claims on behalf of others are required to walk with an authorisation letter, with two signed witnesses, of the passenger whose name appears on the list, as well as his or her identification card or passport.
Important to note is that the Ministry has made a call for passengers of the airline to make their claims on the date their name has been assigned. The notice read, “Furthermore, to allow for smooth processing, the following passengers are asked to appear on the identified dates. Please note that if you do not appear on your identified date, there will be a fall-back period from May 14, 2018 to May 25, 2018.”
More than $40 million will be repaid to the 600 passengers during the scheduled eight days.
Just last week, Guyana Times was told by the Head of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Captain Egbert Field that the organisation was in talks with the airline to iron out arrangements about how the passengers would be compensated.
When questioned about who would reimburse the monies that were owed to the Guyanese passengers since 2017, Field stated that the company would have to take on that responsibility.
Dynamic Airways abruptly ended its service in Guyana in October of 2017 owing to bankruptcy, leaving local travel agents in hot water, with them having to relate to passengers that their flights were cancelled and their monies were lost.
The onus of reimbursing passengers then fell on the Government and the decision was made to utilise the company’s US$200,000 (G$40 million) bond to repay all the passengers. However, the bond proved to be inadequate to repay the passengers.
The company moved out of its bankruptcy status in March of this year, stating that it would be providing charter flights until it has reconstructed its finances. At that point, it will begin to provide services to its previous markets. The company has changed its legal name to Eastern Airlines. Additionally, the airline is hoping to expand its fleet of planes from five to ten.
Meanwhile, it has been disclosed that the embattled airline has intentions of returning to the Guyanese market. In response to this, Field noted that the company would have to come with all the necessary documentation intact. “I have not seen any application from them, neither have they approached the Authority directly.”
