Prime Minister Allen Chastanet says the Caribbean should consider establishing a single civil aviation regulatory body as part of efforts to liberalise the aviation industry n the Caribbean.
“I think that we need to liberalise our aviation in this region. I think that ECCA (Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority) is a huge impediment to the involvement of the private sector,” he told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
Chastanet, the incoming chairman of the 15-mrmber Caribbean Community (CAERICOM) grouping noted that while the Bahamas with a population of 370,000 and with 25 Bahamian airlines, eight charter cargo companies, but with one regulatory body. .
“Here in the Eastern Caribbean a population of 750,000 and if you include Barbados, a million people, we have one carrier, two charter companies and two helicopter companies. So there’s a structural problem that’s been an impediment to the private sector getting involved.
“We as governments don’t have enough money to invest in what we need. We obviously have shown over the years of LIAT and BWIA, governments aren’t very good managers of state-run airlines and we have got to let the market make that dictation.”
Chastanet said it is amazing to him that “the cost of airfares to fly and no private sector company has step up to the plate.
“So it just tells you the structural problems we have in this region. So I would like us to start by continuing to integration our region from aviation. I would have liked that we can create one single aviation authority.
“The civil aviation authority is only a regulator, it is not supposed to be involved in commercial. So let’s think of it, you have OECS Authority, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, All thsse have civil aviation authorities”
Chastanet says a visit to Central America which has a larger population “than we have, they have one regulatory agency.
“These are some of the structural impediments that we have the authority and ability to solve and until we take those positions, I don’t think we will know the true state of the industry,” said Chastanet, who continues to insist that St. Lucia would not be part of the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT.
Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, who is urging regional leaders to participate in LIAT, said while the matter is not on the agenda for the current CARICOM meeting here, he is hoping to have discussions on the issue.
“LIAT is really not an issue for this forum, but at the same time I am sure we will have some discussions on the margins of this meeting as we seek to broaden the ownership of LIAT.
“We are looking at the model of shared benefits and in order to have that it is important for all of the countries that LIAT serves come on board and I am hoping that even those who may be opposed to reconsider their position “.
Browne said that it is important for the region to understand that “LIAT is important to regional connectivity and in itself, it is a Caribbean institution and one that requires the support of all the governments just as any other institution within the region.
“It is part of the integration movement and should be treated as such,” said Browne, whose government is seeking to acquire the majority of the shares owned y Barbados in the debt-ridden airline.
LIAT principal shareholders are the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
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When is the next general election in St. Lucia?
Goodnight. What will it take for Lovell to realize that the UPP will NEVER win an election with him at the helm? Who is advising him? Does he not have any honest people around him to tell him he has “spinach in his teeth” or “yampee in he yai”? Both Peter Wickham and Dr. David Hinds have plainly stated that the UPP needs new *leadership*
The people have sent that mssg loud and clear the past 2 elections. Will he continue to fool himself into thinking that he actually will become PM one day?
Somebody needs to have a “come to Jesus” moment with him.
He is “dead”
This ALP minion working overtime to please the top dawg, even when the article has nothing to do with Lovell he is mentioned in the comment section …… wow. Lovell really a thorn in the Gastonites goat bottom.
Minion if you haven’t been paid for your comments by the top dawg no blame Lovell.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Said the “man” who boldly proclaimed that an Antigua and Barbuda passport is of no value to him because he has a USA passport.
#Lovell4PM
Some people seems to forget the stupidity they say and that it will someday come around and bite them
All Chastanet wants is to set up another airline so that he does not has to fund LIAT. These are dangerous people Mr. PM. be mindful of them. They will stab you in the back. You can already see their behavior when it came to voting alongside CARICOM over Venezuela. You can’t trust him.
Did Chastenet shared with the others how many private Airlines he has mismanaged running them into the ground? Bet if ECCA was in St. Lucia he would not have a problem with it. Just put every OECS body in St. Lucia and Chastenet’s world would be fine. But lets just disband LIAT for a week and wait for all the bright ideas to get us of the disaster that would be created.
Im hardly ever in agreement with Chastanet, but anyone who knows anything about the aviation industry in the Caribbean knows he’s 100% right on this one.
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