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Just received an email last night from Tropic Air that all Flores-BZE flights for Tropic and Maya have been cancelled due to "unilateral" changes in regulations by Guatemalan authorities.

Don't have any additional information.
Posted By: B S P Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/16/07 04:52 PM
Hi, Any news on the new cruise ship dock in Belize, is it still happening?
Posted By: indygal Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/17/07 02:18 AM
Probably should start a new post to get an answer or 2
Posted By: dabunk Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/17/07 02:58 AM
Reposted from Belize Forums:

Here's an extract from Tropic Air's letter they emailed out to agents...

"Due to a unilateral change in Guatemalan regulations, Tropic Air, along with all other Belizean airlines, is no longer able to provide service between Belize and Guatemala effective November 16, 2007. Tropic Air flight numbers 401, 402, 403 and 404 are canceled until further notice.

All tickets will be refunded promptly. To receive your refund please contact your Tropic Air account representative.

We at Tropic Air apologize for any inconvenience. This is certainly an uncontrolled and unfortunate event for Tropic Air, its employees and our passengers who have been flying to Guatemalan destinations for over 25 years."
Posted By: Marty Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/19/07 01:18 AM
from a friend...

I hear that Belize imposed unilateral charges on trucks coming into the border management area. Seems like Guatemala is reciprocating.
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/19/07 01:45 AM
No connection between the two. The border fees have been negotiated and settled...thats to pay for the new facilities.
Posted By: dabunk Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/19/07 03:03 AM
Or the upcoming election!
Posted By: Short Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/19/07 06:59 AM
Why would you want to go to Tikal? - Caracol is a far bigger site, and less excavated - Caracol conquered and ruled Tikal in the ancient days... IMO Tikal is a tourist trap.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/19/07 01:32 PM
So does anyone know what this is all about, and whether it's temporary or not?
Posted By: shuffles Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/20/07 12:28 AM
My understanding is that either A) It may be resolved, but not quickly, or B) A Guatemalan airline is planning to start running the route itself and doesn't want the competition.

But who knows really?
Posted By: cracked up Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/20/07 05:32 PM
Tour operators in the Peten region were up in arms over the actions of their dgac. Tropic Air has been servicing the Peten (Tikal) region safely & reliably, incident & accident free for over 27 yrs. NONE of the Guate operators can say that.
There may be some truth to what "shuffles" says. It is rumored that a certain dgac officer has ties with a Guate airline operator.
Issue should be resolved this week.


Posted By: Anonymous Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/21/07 03:40 PM
I asked Maya, who are also blocked. All they could say was that it was "something political".
Guatemala bans Belizean commercial flights
Belize's two local airlines are feeling the pinch following the banning of Belizean commercial flights into Guatemala. According to spokespersons for Tropic and Maya Island Air, the ban, which was instituted on November fifteenth, involves the upgrading of Guatemala's civil aviation standards: specifically their requirement that all airlines flying to the country have a valid Air Operator's Certificate. Although Belize's local airlines, which each fly twice daily to Flores, Peten, were notified six months ago, they have not been able to complete the necessary technical paperwork. Following several extensions, the Guatemalans finally enforced the new regulations and since Thursday Maya and Tropic have stopped flying across the border. Ironically, while the airlines have been forced to refund fares and with tourists either cancelling or arranging ground transport, the biggest loser has been the tourist industry in Peten which has been deprived of around thirty visitors per day, largely to the ancient Maya site of Tikal. Late word is that following negotiations between the two countries' civil aviation authorities, a compromise is being worked out to give the Belizeans interim landing rights and more time to comply with the regulations. At news time, however, the flight ban remained in effect.
The fact is that Guate dgac has deemed that the BZ aviation authorities do not have proper oversight. Both Tropic Air and MayaIsland Air comply with ICAO standards.
It is policially motivated.
Posted By: Short Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 11/27/07 04:57 AM
No quick solution for Guatemalan flight ban

The ban on Belizean commercial airline flights into Guatemala continues and it appears that despite earlier optimism about an early end to the controversy it may be many months before service can be renewed. The problem remains the Guatemalan requirement that all airlines operating in that country be in possession of an Air Operator's Certificate. Despite advanced warning and several extensions of the deadline Belizean airlines were unable to comply and the requirement was enforced on November fifteenth. The ban primarily affects the two Belizean airlines, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, which each ran two scheduled daily flights to Flores, Peten. Those flights were used primarily by tourists visiting the ancient Maya site of Tikal and to a lesser extent by business people from both countries. The two airlines are making efforts to complete the required paperwork and while the new Guatemalan administration that takes office in January may provide some relief it appears that in the absence of political intervention it could be many months before the route will be reopened.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=19695
Posted By: Marty Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 12/12/07 05:39 PM
On Channel 5's Friday night broadcast, they interviewed the Transport Minister and he said he ex[ected the current ban on flights to Flores will be lifted within "days."
Also the Channel 5 reporter said she interviewed and unnamed official from one of the airlines and said they told her as soon as this matter is cleared up they are going to move agressively to get flights going between Belize and Cancun, Mexico.
Posted By: JZB Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 12/12/07 06:54 PM
Flights between Cancun and Belize would be amazing! But they have been saying that for years...
Posted By: Otteralum Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 12/13/07 12:51 AM
Woh -- depending on the pricing, that could be a huge deal! Columbus-based Skybus has already gotten approval to have non-stop service from Columbus to Cancun. I may actially be able to travel more than once a year if CUN to BZE service begins!
Posted By: Rocky Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 02/02/08 06:37 PM
any updates on the status of flights to Flores...... I'm guessing no changes yet?
Posted By: dabunk Re: Tropic flights to Flores suspended - 02/02/08 09:04 PM
No changes, no flights.
Posted By: Marty Tropic flights to Flores resume on July 1st - 06/21/08 04:58 PM
Tropic Air is happy to announce starting July 1, 2008 we will resume our
regularly scheduled flights and charter service to Guatemala.

The schedule to Flores, Guatemala is unchanged as follows:

Flight #401 BZE to FRS, departs at 8:30 arrives at 9:15
Flight #402 FRS to BZE, departs at 9:30 arrives at 10:15

Flight #403 BZE to FRS, departs at 3:00 arrives at 3:45
Flight #404 FRS to BZE, departs at 4:00 arrives at 4:45

We will also be resuming our Tikal Day and Overnight tours starting July 1,
2008. Please note that Tropic Air will be offering our Tikal tours Sunday
thru Thursday.


Regards,

Sarah Dalsin
Chief Financial Office
Tropic Air Limited
GREAT NEWS!!!! I'M SO HAPPY!
Tropic is only going Sunday-Thursday? Can anyone recommend a good tour that goes on Saturday?
from a friend...

I just tried to book guests on a San Pedro to Flores flight on Tropic for this Saturday. Apparently, they did not start on the 1st as planned, but plan to have the flight in operation around the 14th.
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