{"id":239975,"date":"2025-06-07T12:28:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T16:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=239975"},"modified":"2025-06-07T12:28:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T16:28:58","slug":"liat-may-be-included-in-plans-for-cargo-plane-to-link-south-america-with-oecs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/liat-may-be-included-in-plans-for-cargo-plane-to-link-south-america-with-oecs\/","title":{"rendered":"LIAT may be included in plans for cargo plane to link South America with OECS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Antigua Eyes Cargo Aircraft to Boost Regional Trade<\/strong><\/p>

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The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is moving to acquire a cargo aircraft as part of a broader strategy to enhance regional trade and improve food security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal, discussed during this week\u2019s Cabinet meeting, is intended to strengthen the country’s role as a logistics hub for the movement of goods between South America and OECS member states. Officials say the aircraft will facilitate faster, more reliable transshipment of food and essential supplies, particularly from countries such as the Dominican Republic and Brazil.<\/p>

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Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant explained that the initiative is driven by global disruptions, including the war in Ukraine and rising shipping costs, which have underscored the need for more secure supply chains in the Caribbean.<\/p>

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\u201cThe Cabinet decided to focus its attention on South America,\u201d Merchant said. \u201cEase of access by having this cargo aircraft\u2026 will ensure, in particular, food security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the plan is in its initial stages and details regarding funding, airline operation, and aircraft specifications will be finalized in the coming weeks.<\/p>

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The government says it is leveraging its previous experience in aviation logistics\u2014including its role in reviving LIAT\u2014to support this new venture. While no timeline has been confirmed, officials indicated that implementation work is underway.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Antigua Eyes Cargo Aircraft to Boost Regional Trade The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is moving to acquire a cargo aircraft as part of a broader strategy to enhance regional trade and improve food security. The proposal, discussed during this week\u2019s Cabinet meeting, is intended to strengthen the country’s role as a logistics hub for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":231882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nLIAT may be included in plans for cargo plane to link South America with OECS - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/liat-may-be-included-in-plans-for-cargo-plane-to-link-south-america-with-oecs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"LIAT may be included in plans for cargo plane to link South America with OECS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Antigua Eyes Cargo Aircraft to Boost Regional Trade The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is moving to acquire a cargo aircraft as part of a broader strategy to enhance regional trade and improve food security. 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