LIAT to collect air service fee for Eugene Correia airport

In a bid to prevent passengers from being doubled charged, a decision was made to include the Airport Service Fee in the price of the ticket for LIAT flights at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced.

In a statement issued last Friday, the GCAA noted that the decision was taken after a meeting was convened between the Director General of the GCAA Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field and executives from the Ogle Airport Incorporated (OAI) and LIAT Airlines last Monday to address the fee.

Director General of the GCAA Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field (third from right), with OAI CEO Anthony Mekdeci (second from right) and LIAT’s CEO Julie Reifer-Jones, and other officials who met last Monday.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OAI Anthony Mekdeci, CEO of LIAT, Julie Feifer-Jones, and Director of Air Transport Management of the GCAA Saheed Sulaman were among those present at the meeting.

In June, the OAI had said that it would be collecting the fees directly from passengers. “This move, while effective in terms of revenue collection for the maintenance of the airport facilities, given the short time, could have resulted in some passengers being charged twice what they had already paid on their ticket, and infringing on the ease of travel for passengers,” the statement added.

According to the GCAA, it was agreed at the meeting by both sides to have the International Air Transport Association (IATA) register the Airport Service Fee in the its global distribution system, which allows LIAT to collect the fees, which will be then sent directly to the airport, from September 1, 2017.

All international passengers will be required to pay $3,600 and children under the age of seven will be charged $2,400.

“The agreement reached between the CEOs will not result in passengers being doubled charged and will facilitate the ease of travel for passengers,” the statement said.