Plans are underway for Travel Span GT Inc. to offer regular scheduled flights to Canada later this year according to the airline’s General Manager Mark De Freitas. Speaking with Stabroek Business earlier this week De Freitas said that a scheduled service to Canada would come on stream as soon as the airline secures official clearance to land in Toronto. De Freitas told Stabroek Business that the existing arrangements between the aviation authorities in Guyana and Canada allow for landing rights at Hamilton but that it was more commercially advantageous for Travel Span to provide a service to Toronto. He said that the airline is currently pursuing permission to operate a regular service to that Canadian destination.

Travel Span GT Inc. commenced its scheduled service from Georgetown last November and according to De Freitas the airline, which is owned by US-based Guyanese entrepreneur Nohar Singh, introduced its service to Guyana in response to what the company felt was excessively high fares offered to passengers travelling in and out of Georgetown. “Since the introduction of our service out of Georgetown fares have been reduced considerably,” De Freitas told Stabroek Business.

Last week Travel Span made its inaugural flight to Fort Lauderdale, USA, and its once weekly flight there adds to its thrice weekly service to Trinidad and Tobago and its four weekly flights to New York. De Freitas said that the company is currently working on introducing business and frequent flier packages by the end of March.

De Freitas told Stabroek Business that Travel Span had recently reviewed its marketing arrangements since it felt that it could further increase its share of the local market. The company currently operates two offices in Guyana, one in Georgetown and another in Berbice.

Travel Span GT Inc. is serviced by a new Boeing 737 800 aircraft leased from the United States-based company Xtra Airlines. it seats 8 first class passengers and 156 economy class passengers.

Travel Span GT Inc. is the latest addition to the wider Travel Span Company which includes Travel Span Vacations that has provided charter flights to Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana among other destinations.

De Freitas said that the new scheduled Guyana carrier would also be seeking to provide a service between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States given the airline’s established popularity in the twin-island Republic.

According to De Freitas the new airline will be placing particular emphasis on scrupulous baggage handling, efficient service and passenger security in keeping with the present focus of the international aviation industry.