Guyana Airways Corporation’s inaugural international flight on the newly acquired Boeing 737 began on September 8, 1980. Flight number GY704 flew from Timehri International Airport, Guyana to Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados a distance of about 401 nautical miles (743 km, 462 statute miles) with a flying time of approximately 1 hr 10 mins.
Below is the text from the Sunday Chronicle article of September 14, 1980 written by Leon Saul.
Up, Up and Away … in Our Beautiful 737 – Sunday Chronicle September 14, 1980
“Good Afternoon, Guyana Airways Corporation welcomes you aboard flight GY704 to Barbados…”
That was the personal welcome which the 91 or so passengers, including 15 media people, got on Monday afternoon when they made the inaugural flight out of Timheri International Airport on Guyana’s first jet service.
We took off at 4:20 pm. After travelling at 500 mph at an altitude of some 28,000 feet, we touched down at Grantley Adams International Airport at 4:30 pm local time (Barbados).
I had opted for a “rear-to-last” seat in the 115 seater Boeing 737. This had its advantages and disadvantages.
Anyway, as I walked out from the Guyanese airport building I kept my gaze on our aircraft and allowed the thought to sink in that in another area of national development we were “going places.”
Even though the craft wasn’t in GAC’s green, yellow and white colours, I was still able to identify with the light and dark blue sleekness ahead of me. For after all, there was the Golden Arrowhead on the tail fin above the Danish Maersk Company’s seven-pointed star, plus the GAC logo on the fuselage.
The smiles of the Guyanese hostesses had that real warmth, and the bearing of their Danish counterparts exuded more confidence.
Looking smart in brown pants, with matching belts, around well-tailored white jackets all this set off by brownish-pinkish neckties the hostesses ensured that their guests were comfortably settled in the roomy interior, with its creamish-white walls and ceilings in seats covered with brownish-blueish floral material, all combining aesthetically with the blue carpeting of the plane’s floor.
Whatever apprehension still remained began to waft away as the hostesses demonstrated the use of the seat-belts, life-jackets, automatic oxygen system, and issued relevant safety warnings.
By that time, the soft roar of the engines reminded us that we were air-borne. And the historic journey unfolded, smiles broke out on many faces.
The music was soothing but I would have preferred to hear some Guyanese stuff. And as fidgety travelers got up to stretch limbs, or go across to companions, or release inner-tensions in the sanitary block, the hostesses tried to get their routine going.
Because the Guyanese girls were accustomed to catering for the capacity and speed of the Hawker-Siddley 748, they casually rolled the “bar” forward of the craft and coolly served drinks.
Those at the rear of the craft must have been doing some personal calculations, because half-an-hour after lift-off the “bar” was not half-way down the aisle.
“Hey man, by the time de bar reach dis side we gon deh at the airport.” was one comment.
“Why dey aint use two trolleys, wid one starting from de back of de plane,” was another contribution.
By that time , the hostesses themselves realised that they were still on “748” time and if they carried on serving at that pace all would be lost… as could be seen by the anxious looks of the thirsty ones in the rear.
Some adroit and deft movements were made with hostesses practically flying down the aisles, to get the passengers’ meals and drinks to them.
“Hey Bob…. do something about dis, yeh,” someone called out to the an also anxious GAC General Manager.
“This plane fast like hell” was his reply,” was his reply, as the voice of the crew-announcer seeped through with the news that we were approaching Grantley Adams Airport.
It is credit to the hostesses’ extreme credit that everyone who wanted a drink or a meal got these before the craft smoothly touched down on the island in the sun.
The all-concrete, nouveau architectural spread of Barbados, International airport and its clean interior was a welcome relief to the 45 degrees Celsius outside.
We stood, most of us who were visiting the year-old $US27 million airport for the first time, and soaked in the cool, quiet, spacious and Spartan efficiency of the gateway to the Caribbean’s top tourist resort.
Then, it hit you… the aura of a consumer and money-spinning society. The decorations in the terminal buildings were all lighted posters and advertisements enticing you to the array of products available in Little England.
The word passed around. Who wanted to stay in Bimshire for two days and two nights could do so. Return flights were available on Wednesday afternoon.
Some stayed. Some returned. The departure time on Wednesday afternoon was 6:00 pm (Barbados). The flight was on schedule. The hostesses were far more relaxed. The “official media party” was not on board scrutinising them.
And even so… it had taken the hostesses just two days to adapt to the speed and services of the Boeing 737. As soon as the craft lifted off, drinks were served, along with the meals.
The flight crew from countries “far apart” as Guyana and Denmark had things “under manners”. The flight back home was done at about 481 mph at an altitude of 31,000 feet.
After spending two swift hours on board (going and coming); after spending two fruitful days in the land of coo-coo and flying fish; that 26 mile journey by bus from the airport to Georgetown really tired me out… and it took longer than the 500 or more miles from Timehri to Grantley Admas by GAC’s 737 Boeing Jet.
