Schedule commercial flight to operate under strict COVID-19 guidelines

From Monday October 12, 2020, the Cheddi Jagan International and the Eugene F. Correia International Airports were reopened to ‘controlled’ scheduled international passenger and other flights. These include outgoing, cargo and medivac flights; technical stops for fuel only; authorized repatriation flights for returning Guyanese and special authorized flights.

Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field noted that the airports will facilitate international air travel while maintaining strict Public Health requirements in light of the continuance of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Passengers travelling to Guyana must do a molecular PCR test (PCR COVID-19 test). If completed within 72 hours of the flight and the result of that test is negative, the passenger will be free to leave the airport after arrival. However, if the PCR test is done within four to seven (4-7) days of travel, the passenger will be required to do another test upon arrival in Guyana, notwithstanding the earlier negative result.

The airports were closed to international flights on March 18, 2020 after Guyana imported its first case of the corona virus disease (COVID-19). During that time, facilities at the two Airports were modified to facilitate all health protocols including the installation of sanitization stations at the entrances of the Airports’ terminal buildings and social distancing markers on floors and seats in the arrival and departure terminals.

Additionally, the GCAA develop the Standard operating Procedures and Gazetted the COVID-19 Emergency Regulations to support the implementation of the SOPs including the installation of signage and appropriate seating, cleaning of the Airport’s public areas, aircraft operators, immigration personnel, transporting of humans remains, flight crew procedures, processing of arriving passengers, border control and sensitization.

The GCAA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, CJIA and the EFCIA officials also conducted several inspections to assess the Airports’ readiness for the reopening. Incoming International flights will be scheduled to avoid overcrowding at the airports.

The GCAA will continue to work with all stakeholders to preserve the health and wellbeing of all travellers to Guyana and will continuously evaluate the measures in place during this pandemic.