CMC – Guyana has told the Turks and Caicos-based InterCaribbean Airways that it could face sanctions if the carrier does not avoid prolonged flight delays and cancellations.
Aviation Minister, Juan Edghill, said senior government officials as well as representatives of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority met with representatives of the airline last week to address repeated concerns by travellers and that the airline has indicated that there were issues with crew and other internal matters.
He said among the commitments given to local authorities include better handling in Barbados and additional aircraft to address the delays.
“If they don’t fulfil those obligations that they made last week Thursday, we will have to step in and take additional actions or possible sanctions,” Edghill told Demerara Waves Online News.
Edghill said since last week’s meeting with InterCaribbean, he has not yet received any feedback from passengers, insisting nonetheless that “InterCaribbean came to Guyana advocating a particular service. We expect them to provide that service.
“The airlines cannot just make money and people suffer.
They have to be able to have the social contract with the passengers fulfilled.
That was strongly communicated, and we expect the change but if that does not happen, we have to go to the next level,” he said.
Edghill said that while he “doesn’t want to go there right now” regarding the possibility of suspending the Guyana routes for the carrier, the government is keen on having seats for the travelling public and “we want a better service.
“While we’re reaching out for better service, we will not allow Guyanese to be short-changed,” he said, adding that on the issue of compensation to affected passengers, the IATA policy states that refunds could become available in about 14 days after requests are made to the travel agent.
Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Antigua and Barbuda, Robert Reis, issued a statement protesting the shabby treatment being meted out to Guyanese travelling from Montserrat, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, and other destinations to Guyana.
InterCaribbean began commercial flights to Guyana in December 2021.
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LIAT LIAT I love you
The late liat R I P
What if Antigua govt stood up for Antiguans like that
I have just repeated your statement.
Pigs would fly and they would become upright folks. 🤣🤣😁😂😄😅
Totally unacceptable for an airline, especially when you are paying premium airfares.
Dem betta nah fack me up next month
A great stand taken by the Government in Guyana. You cannot allow a company to mistreat your citizens like that. Proud of you!
InterCaribbean needs to come better than that – they will tarnish their entire brand if they continue with that level of service.
Guyana has a choice to invest in LIAT
True that but not base in antigua
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Now that the other former shareholders of LIAT have allowed it to go under one can now see the real importance of LIAT in fostering regional integration through travel across the region. Many have tried to outdo LIAT. Stanford’s Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun airlines which failed. Now it’s Intercaribbean Airways which is plagued with numerous cancellations and delays and poor service. No other regional airline can filled the shoes of LIAT after 60 years of service to the entire region with daily flights. Give Jack his Jacket. Kudos to LIAT!!!!
# mirror every word is correct but only a fool would invest in LIAT base in Antigua change the location tomorrow and you will S👀 the difference.
Intercaribbean have been making an effort to improve their service in the last week or so.
This before the Guyana warning. Flights are still late but have most are withing a 2-3 hour period of delay.
Note the Guyana warning is boiler plate stuff and has been know to be issued even before an airline starts or resumes service there. the same stuff was directed at LIAT(1974) when the were attempting to restart their Guyana service in late 2021.
https://newsroom.gy/2021/11/07/liat-hoping-to-return-to-guyana-govt-wants-assurances-of-good-service/
Note that Intercaribbean seem to be a private Caribbean Airline. Not owned by a Government or Governments. So they have ownership model of an airline that many have clamored for in the past. They are actually a massive operation. Hopefully they will get things right and prosper.
Many major and reputable airlines have periods of meltdown were things go horribly wrong and passengers have a torrid time. It is unfortunately part of the airline business . But over a period of time they manage to correct those particular problems .
There is also a case to revive LIAT(1974). They probably only exist because the route rights that they hold probably cannot be transferred to a LIAT(2020) . They would have to be renegotiated .
Interestingly paying the full severance to former workers would benefit the Antigua economy.
A large portion of the payments would probably go back in to the Antigua economy and stimulate it.
The Antigua Government could attempt to get a loan facility to be repaid over 15-25 years to cover the severance.
LIAT(1974) seem to be down to one operating aircraft so something probably needs to be done soon either way.
@ Tell it like it is. No need to move LIAT’s base from Antigua. What LIAT needs to do is to restructure it’s model in a business like format, by having more Caricom countries where LIAT flies to or where other Caricom countries would like LIAT to fly to, invest in it by buying shares, lowering the landing tax in each country, offer affordable tickets to the passengers and reduce the number of managers drawing huge salaries that is crippling LIAT at the same time. LIAT (Leeward Island Air Transport) was first started and founded by the late Kittitian Sir Frank Delisle in Montserrat on 20th Otober 1956 and started flying between Antigua and Montserrat using single engine aircraft. LIAT then expanded it’s operation to the other Leeward Islands, then the Windward Islands, the US and British Virgin Islands and then Barbados. LIAT after a number of years was rebranded as LIAT 1974 Ltd. So it is only fitting and right to keep LIAT here as it’s base because of its rich history here.
Also because of Antigua’s geographical location in the centre of the island chain, it is best to keep the base here and act as the hub to connect international passengers from the UK, USA and CANADA and EUROPE to the rest of the Caribbean islands.
Everyone want Liat to be based on their Island, no want LIAT to continue as they operated in the past.
What would it take for Liat, Caribbean Airlines, SVG Air, Bahamian Airways, InterCaribbean Airways and many other smaller airline operators within the Caribbean to merge?
Bigger and other well run airlines, all over the world are merging but our small cash trapped, failing regional ones refuse to come together for the benefit of our region.
There are too many so called Caricom talk shops where no serious actions are taken to the benefit of Caribbean people. Instead it is glorious time for lavish meals, cheffeur driven, best hotel accommodation for our so called ‘leaders.’
What’s wrong with us? Similar to a natural resource filled African continent that could contend with any developed nation in the wolrd has repeatedly fail to come together to form what should have long been the UNITED STATES of AFRICA!
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