By Makeda Mikael
Caribbean leaders have met again in another failed attempt to raise LIAT from the dead, but once more failed.
This failure is compounded by ignorance of post COVID aviation economics, and the need for creative financing measured by expanded opportunities.
In these times on the brink of a global recession, a small airline like Liat requires a broader revenue base which ensures viability, because of the cost of its ‘essential services’ component.
LIAT will always have to give discounted or cost free services to the many small islands often in need, due to natural disasters, and sometimes abject poverty, from a downturn in the fickleness of tourism and the absence of any other means.
LIAt is the envy of well established regional airlines in the US in their 60 year production of efficient and well rounded engineers and pilots, whose education in the air is guaranteed by the amount of Take-offs and Landings on this delightful chain of islands.
Whereas most pilots on the continent have two or three sectors per flight our Liat pilots over the years have had the milk- run Antigua to Barbados or Trinidad stopping at several islands on route, gaining experience and confidence on the most difficult and focused part of flying, touchdown and take-off.
LIAT 2020 must expand its revenue base beyond just flights of people and Cargo.
The time has come for real investment possibilities like an MRO catering to serve all of the ATRs in the region which are close to 60 aircraft including newly acquired equipment topping up regional fleets.
The opportunity exists to offer J/V operations in an international sized MRO to many of our scheduled Carriers, and Latin American Operators, some of which could be encouraged to establish sub-station maintenance in Antigua, well placed between North & South America.
Finally, LIAT could share its critical logistics by establishing a Flying School Exchange program where Airlines crews from America and elsewhere send their pilots to gain take-off and landing expertise on our chain of islands.
This proposal was considered by an American carrier which enquirer about buying LIAT simply to train its pilots while supplying the service to the islands. Why not do it ourselves!
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
For any caribbean airline to be successful it must be managed by people who understand how to run a business with some track record.Each island must be responsible to its financial responsibility and obligation(s ) in making its ops a success.Less political interference and proper composition of board members with diverse business experience in addition to working as a “team” could assist in moving forward.Lastly ………..Need for prayers to make it happen
Thought provoking article as usual Makeda, but are we for real in this region? Is regionalism now dead? Given the vital necessity of transportation in the economic life of any country or region, one would have thought that the regional leaders would be formulating a plan to resuscitate LIAT. The importance of transportation can be seen from examples all over the world. Even something as simple as the development of Route 66 which linked the west coast and east coast of America in 1926 was a momentous occasion for its impact in trade and the movement of people. The problems of LIAT have underscored the need for a viable transportation link between the islands and yet the governments are unable to find a solution.
LIATs main problem: it’s mainly owned and run by governments. These governments can’t even upkeep a simple four wall building without it looking run down. I’ll say no more.
LIAT probably lost their way from 1998/1999.
They discarded scalability by dropping Twin Otter aircraft.
Lost the smaller OECS routes over time as a result.
Canefield Dominica ,Nevis,Anguilla and Montserrat.
Also the domestic Antigua to Barbuda route .
Lost the option to use the smaller capacity aircraft for St Kitts and St Lucia and St Maarten
for lower demand periods or time slots.
Also as feeder aircraft via the Barbados hub for Dominica,St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenada .
I agree, plus have completely ignored the fact that France is only 50 or 100 miles away. Guadeloupe alone has 8 flights to Paris daily
Don’t worry yourself folks, Gaston ‘Airlines’ Browne is on the phone with the Nigerian 🇳🇬 entrepreneur Marvellous Mike the printer 🖨 to help resolve his issues/problems with LIAT as we speak.
MARVELLOUS MIKE TO THE RESCUE – MI AH TELL UNNA ✈️🛩🛫 WHOOSH …🚀
Where is the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority in all of this? They lost category 1 status and have not regained it ever since.
The Antigua government cannot even provide them with proper offices so how will they figure out how to resuscitate LIAT.
I miss LIAT especially during the hurricane season because of the skill of their pilots. Great observation on this in the article.
Eccaa still preventing blure harbour helicopter from opening. Even though they had helicopter here over one year . Such BS. They are corrupt!!!¡
Remember, only four islands were the upkeep of Liat out of fifteen, with Barbados carrying the brunt of the weight. If all the island chain had made an input, it would of made a great difference.
Comments are closed.