REDjet, the Caribbean’s newest low-cost airline, will officially launch its service here on April 18th.
Co-founder of RED jet Airlines, Ian Burns
The airline will be offering Guyanese the opportunity to fly one- way to Barbados, Trinidad, or Jamaica, starting at only US$9.99 minus government tax.
All flights will be non-stop, as the company seeks to revolutionise the aviation industry in the Caribbean. REDjet received its air operator’s certificate from the Barbados Aviation Authority only last week, and the Guyana government has granted the company an operator’s certificate as well.
REDjet’s co-founder Ian Burns, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International, expressed satisfaction at the promising support received from the government, as it prepares to offer Guyanese competitive travel packages to other Caricom destinations.
The company will launch its service on Monday, April 18th in Guyana and Jamaica; Wednesday, April 20 in Barbados; and Thursday, April 21 in Trinidad and Tobago. These will be the first four bases out of which the airline will be operating, with Barbados being its hub and location of its offices. Flights to the various destinations will officially begin from May 8th, and already, the company has a schedule on its website for persons wishing to travel on the inaugural flight.
The initial routes are Barbados to Guyana, Barbados to Trinidad, Barbados to Jamaica, Trinidad to Jamaica and Guyana to Trinidad. However, the last route is yet to be confirmed, as there are still some company procedures that are to be finalised.
Burns said inspiration for the airline service came from his own experience as a passenger travelling to the Caribbean. He saw the consumers’ needs who wished to travel frequently to see relatives and friends, to study, to shop, on business, and for pleasure. REDjet’s business model is based on a ‘tried and true model’ that the company has researched.
Burns says he and co-founder of REDjet, his son Robbie Burns, saw the lack of competition in the Caribbean aviation industry as a plus for them to capitalise on and start the company. He added that while the company would want to make a profit, it still wanted to make travelling economically advantageous for passengers. “We try to do what we’re good at for costumers to benefit.”
While there are concerns locally about the airline starting as a low-cost carrier and then, not being able to make a profit, withdrawing its services from Guyana, Burns says the overall cost of flights will be at least 64 per cent less than the fares offered by REDjet’s counterpart, Caribbean Airlines.
When asked how the company would be able to remain viable, given the challenges in the oil market and the recession, Burns said the company acquired a number of aircraft and parts at very low prices, after other companies felt the impact of the recession. Starting on a low-cost budget and maintaining that is the company’s objective, he said.
Fares
Burns said passengers will have to pay for everything they want; meaning that, if a passenger does not want food, then that passenger does not have to pay for food. Passengers are not given the “take-it-or-leave-it, and pay a general sum of money” option, he said. Passengers can take two pieces of hand luggage on board the aircraft free of charge, and the charges for baggage will depend on the size and weight.
Although its aim is to function as a low-cost carrier, the company will not lose the opportunity to earn maximum profit. Burns disclosed that the company was very open about its fare structures so passengers can know how they spent their money.
Although ticketing starts as low as US$9.99 during off-peak periods, it can start at US$29.99 during peak periods, depending on demand. As the demand increases, the fare could rise in US$10 increments as the craft fills.
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