SOURCE: Caribbean Life – If all goes well in the coming months a new, Antigua-based island hopper — LIAT 2022 instead of problem-plagued LIAT 1974 — will fly to regional destinations, bringing relief to several Eastern Caribbean island nations, which depend largely on air transport for tourism and basic purposes.
Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua, which has the largest employee and asset base of the old LIAT 1974 limited, is anxious to get a rebranded LIAT back in the skies across the region from Guyana in the south to islands in the central and Eastern Caribbean.
In the past week, the Antiguan government and CFA Global, a private Chinese company signed a memorandum of understanding with the firm taking an undisclosed amount of minority shares in the new company.
The plan is to re-fleet the company, possibly with Airbus 330s and 320s in addition to the newer French-made ATR turboprops, which had been a staple aircraft for LIAT 1974 before its spectacular collapse two years ago.
Browne told listeners on a weekend call-in program that the idea is to get planes back in the air flying to former destinations as far south as Trinidad and Guyana. It is unclear whether neighboring Suriname, a fellow CARICOM member nation, is also in the plans of those in charge.
Beset by debt, high salaries and being forced to fly to non-profitable routes among other issues simply to service shareholding member nations, the carrier collapsed under the weight of mounting debt, perennial squabbling by shareholding Caribbean governments and pressure from labor unions to meet compensation packages for hundreds of employees.
The situation, of course, was not helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had shuttered airports around the world and had severely restricted air travel.
“We still have at least two entities that are negotiating with the administrator to become shareholders within the LIAT company.
It may have to be a new company because when you look at what is happening presently, the threats that are made, the demands that are made by past staff, members of staff and the union, I am not even sure now that LIAT 1974 Limited will be viable so there may have to be a LIAT 2020, recapitalised and start as a new entity,” PM Browne said.
Because of its base in Antigua, its large employee base and other forms of vested interests, Antigua has been leading regional efforts to ensure there is a viable island hopper available to the Eastern Caribbean in particular even as Barbados and St. Vincent have virtually given up on the airline because of its slew of problems.
Others like Dominica and Grenada have pledged to invest cash in any new entity that takes to the skies.
LIAT 1974 limited has been carrying debts at close to $100 million.
The collapse of the carrier has meant that air captains, flight attendants, engineers and other staff have yet to receive their full amount of severance pay.
The airline pilots association has repeatedly stated that some of its members are destitute, have lost homes, endured the stress of broken marriages, while others are engaged in menial jobs just to survive while leaders and others haggle over severance packages.
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https://www.caribbeanlife.com/a-new-liat-is-possible/
By Bert Wilkinson
0comments
Posted on October 6, 2022
So, you pick a story from a news portal that was posted since October 6, 2022, and that is what you call news. Not to mention that the story is full of irregularities. It mentioned LIAT 2022 and LIAT 2020.
What a thing. Are you guys so desperate for news articles?
October 6 2022 this article was posted. Why is this posted again? Why are we being confused by Air Peace and the Chinese airline connection. Who is playing games with the people of this country, pitting China against our African future?
Caribbean airline a private entity based in Barbados recently announced that it was taking to the skies of the Caribbean and had added several flights and destinations this very summer.
Competition is always great and provide competitive prices and quality service.
I think with a good management this entity can make it. The name LIAT is a Caribbean institution, Like cricket West Indies just beaten by Zimbabwe another failed Caribbean institution.
LIAT should have never been looked at as a profit earner in itself. LIAT brought Large profits to the Caribbean economy.
Similarly is the University of the West Indies a profitable institution. I am sure not. It’s role cannot be underscored in the education of our Caribbean community. I can bet at one point all the Caribbean leaders were UWI graduates and over 90% of our politicians, Bankers , teachers, civil servants or UWI graduates. The point is that UWI cannot stand on its own and is highly supported by the Caribbean governments. Antigua for example has just taken out a huge loan to enlarge and Improve on UWI five island. Why not the University doing this by itself?
I have one major problem though- the Chinese again. The Chinese are now owning our lands , our stores , and seas and now our airspace.
@Frankly Speaking June 26, 2023 At 5:32 am
Our Story
Caribbean Airlines is an authentic Caribbean airline which provides a genuine Caribbean experience on all its services. The airline’s professional teams offer the warmth of the islands both on and off the aircraft. Caribbean Airlines operates more than 600 weekly flights to destinations in the Caribbean, North and South America. The airline’s fleet is comprised of Boeing 737-800 and ATR72-600 aircraft. Jointly owned by the people of Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, and with an operational base in Jamaica, Caribbean Airlines employs more than 1600 people. The airline is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is recognized as an IATA Operational Safety Audit qualified airline. It is a certified FAA repair station as per regulation 145.
Better ticket prices also?
There is no such thing as a private Chinese company. Jack Ma, owner of Alibaba and a once vocal critic of the CCP once disappeared for a few weeks and came back singing the praises of the CCP. There are no private Chinese companies.
THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER MIA MOTLEY IS DOING WONDERFUL AND SUSTAINABLE THINGS FOR HER COUNTRY AND PEOPLE. THIS LUAT CHINESE AFRICAN STORY IS JUST THAT . ARE WE TRYING TO COMPETE WITH THE DISTINGUISED LADY?
Oh yes, she has them in the arms of the IMF. Very wonderful thing that is. The first order of business when she took office was to lay off 1800 civil servants. And while Gaston was giving away water tanks to the poor, in order for them to store water, Mia is setting up a funds where they can lend money to buy these tanks against low interest rates. While Gaston Browne was giving LIAT workers a hand-out during Christmas 2020, Mia was offering the loan. While Gaston was offering ALL Liat workers 50 percent payment of Severance in a combination of Cash, Bonds or Land, Mia is offering only to Barbadian workers in Barbados 100 percent of their severance with the maximal cash component of BDS$75000.00, The balance in bonds. I mean you must hate Gaston Browne in order not to see whose leadership is superior. Mia threw in the towel for LIAT and demanded it be liquidated, while Gaston Browne took it to court and tried to resurrect it. As it now can be seen, Mia is only concern about Barbadians, while Gaston Browne is concerned about the entire Caribbean people.
LIAT
Which is it? LIAT 2020 or LIAT 2022? CFA Global or AIR PEACE? ATRs or A330s or A320s?
Talk Talk talkkkk
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