Guyanese serial-entrepreneur Dr Jayson Aaron, the President of Aaron’s Royality Group of Companies, told Gtmemoirs Monday.
Angel Airways which is based in Suriname, is preparing to obtain permission from the authorities there to conduct International flights from Suriname. They intend to fly twice a week between Suriname and the Netherlands and further to countries such as Thailand and China.
The Airline which was founded in 2007 recently partnered with Aaron’s Royality Group of Companies, seeing the company owned by the Guyanese acquiring 40 per cent of the airline.
The Director of the Airline, Etienne Fernandes, expressed his pleasure in the partnership with the Guyanese owned company, after months of negotiations with various potential foreign partners.
Etienne is a pilot and former commander of the Surinamese Air Force, and an ex-director of aviation watchdog CASAS.
He said the investment clears the way for the application for the flying permit, the so-called Air Operators Certificate, to be submitted to the authorities within a few weeks.
“The talks with Aaron’s Royality started in mid-2021. After all previous negotiations with other parties did not lead to a conclusive whole. Things have also been slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has almost brought the aviation industry to a standstill,” the entrepreneur said.
Fernandes says that based on the aviation treaty between Suriname and the Netherlands, Paramaribo can permit three companies to maintain the Mid-Atlantic route.
The Netherlands may also grant permission to three airlines.
The Surinamese side currently allows the SLM and Fly All Ways to maintain the aforementioned route.
“Suriname therefore still has room to grant a license to one airline and we are convinced that our company and the way in which we want to operate will meet the conditions,” said the director of Angel Airways.
It is hoped that the process of applying for permission will run smoothly so that flight operations can start as early as October this year.
In the first phase, flights will be operated to Europe and further to the Far East. Two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be deployed for those operations.
In the second phase, operations in the region connecting to Canada and the USA will be conducted with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
One of the routes that Angel Airways wants to cover from the Netherlands is the Netherlands-Brasilia route via Paramaribo.
There is no direct flight on that route yet, Fernandes notes.
Flight operations between China and Jamaica are also being studied.
Angel Airways wants to distinguish itself from other airlines through the service to passengers, not necessarily with a lower ticket price.
“We will provide the first-class service that passengers receive onboard top airlines such as Garuda and Emirates,” said Fernandes.
The aim is not to become a prizefighter. The director says he will not skimp on the operational costs at the expense of passenger service.
Customer satisfaction and customer service are top priorities for the company.
Hotels and transport companies will be contracted to accommodate passengers in the event of delays or other force majeure situations.
Passengers pay good money and if things go wrong, airlines should take their responsibility and take good care of their customers is the motto at Angel Airways.
