As calls increase for Caribbean leaders to focus on improving regional air travel, the future of LIAT has come under scrutiny.
The airline was forced to stop flying at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and was later put under administration when attempts to sell its assets were unsuccessful.
Even with a tight schedule, travel remains a major concern.
Political analyst Peter Wickham recently discussed the airline industry’s future, highlighting inadequate options to address the gap.
Wickham addressed the challenges surrounding sea transportation during his speech, noting that it is also problematic.
“Even before the collapse, I felt there needed to be a regional effort involving member states’ contributions. The sad reality is that post covid, there is less reason for member states to feel that they need to have a LIAT, and that’s the situation. There is a level of uncertainty, but I feel that there is a need for it certainly; whether the heads are in a position where they feel compelled is something I am doubtful about,” he said
“I think the presumption is that we can have a private alternative because it relieves the heads of their need to contribute to something like that. The reality is that the private alternative has also been woefully inadequate…” he said
Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said that the island is facing the challenge of establishing a new company to replace LIAT (1974) Limited, which went bankrupt in 2020.
LIAT (1974) Limited, based in Antigua, had to enter administration in July 2020 due to increased debt and the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline is jointly owned by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Since November 2020, a downsized version of the carrier with limited staff has been operating a reduced schedule.
LIAT, before entering into administration, had been servicing several regional destinations and has since scaled down its operations and is now servicing Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, San Juan Puerto Rico, St Kitts, St Lucia and St Maarten.
The general consensus among heads of state is that the region possesses enough assets to support itself, as confirmed by a study conducted by the Caribbean Development Bank and the OECS.
The majority of assets are privately owned, and therefore, there is no need for government investment in a national or regional airline.
I agree. It’s time for the Caribbean to have full seamless regional transportation. I would love to be able to affordable travel to different islands on vacation each year, and there can be easier trade of goods and services within the region with seamless transportation. We are always looking outside the region for help but we could help ourselves a lot more with better connections. If the governments don’t want to invest directly regularly in a regional airline, they should still play a role hosting summits bringing regional carriers together to discuss expansions and collaborations to get it done. They can probably provide some initial incentives to encourage the carriers to make it happen.