Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 12, 2012 Letters
Dear Editor,
This is in reference to several unfair, unsubstantiated commentaries (attacks) in your newspaper (KN) in recent days on the owner Mr. Sonny Ramdeo of EZJet and the airline itself.
I have no affiliation with (or know) Ramdeo or EZJet company other than being a purchaser of the Guyana air service which the country badly needs given the limited travel links with our country.
We should, therefore, express a sense of gratitude to the man and to the airline rather than malign his character and the airline itself. There are very few who makes the kind of commitment to service of nation as Ramdeo spending their personal fortunes to shore up travel to Guyana to enrich the country.
I was at the press conference in New York in early December when Ramdeo announced the launching of EZJet charter service to Guyana from JFK. Ramdeo expressed the optimism to transfer the service into regular scheduled air and that he was in for the long haul and hopes to expand from Miami, Trinidad and Toronto as well in the not too distant future.
He was cheered although those present expressed concerns about sustainability of operations given the history of air service to Guyana by other fly by night operators.
Ramdeo informed travel agents as well as the media that he was the owner of the service and that he was investing his own personal money to finance the operation.
He appealed for support to make the airline a success informing listeners that everyone had a stake in the service as it would help to transform our nation.
Ramdeo was grilled by those of us present at the meeting including a former head of GAC about his long term commitment – his finances and costs of operations.
He was also given sound advice on flight operations and the Guyana market by those of us, including Mr. Lall Somwaru and Ramesh Kalicharran, who know the travel business well.
He told us that he was in for the long haul laying out dates and times of flights for several months. He also announced that the aircraft owners committed themselves to Guyana for the long run and that if the demand for the service was not there he would reduce flight dates.
Ramdeo is investing his personal money into a business. The media should not make insinuations about the man’s finances unless there is evidence to substantiate them. There is nothing shady about the man or his finances. Ramdeo has earned his money from hard work and he chooses how to spend it.
If he wishes to “misspend” his money on helping Guyanese travelers rather than pay his mortgage, that is his business. But KN or the public should not indulge in unfounded character assassinations.
Guyana is in need of air services to end the monopoly. We need more airline service which is good for the country. With increased competition in the airline industry, Guyanese would benefit from cheaper fares and our tourism will be boosted.
EZJet has been a God send to Guyana. Its presence in the market has led to lower fares from New York. Consumers will read more benefits as the airline institutionalizes its presence and I hope it does. More Guyanese are able to visit Guyana from NY since EZ’s December launch pouring millions of dollars into the economy.
I do not know the exact number of Guyanese who traveled to Guyana since the airline began service but my estimate is about 10K and with each person spending about US$2K, that is US$20M injected into the economy not to mention revenues generated from taxes that went directly into the coffers of the government.
The media, including KN, also benefited from the operations. It is therefore unfair and unwise to attack EZ’s owner Sonny Ramdeo. We should instead be praising him for his investment risk from which are beneficiaries.
Vishnu Bisram
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
Apr 18, 2024
SportsMax – West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has been named Wisden’s leading Twenty20 Cricketer for 2023, as she topped all and sundry, including her male counterparts. Alan Gardner looks...Kaieteur News – Compliments of the Ministry of Education, our secondary school children are being treated to a stage... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]