Tourism Minister Charles Max Fernandez
Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez says LIAT 20 is set to expand its operations in Antigua and Barbuda significantly.
He said in parliament earlier this week that the airline plans to grow its workforce from the current 95 employees to around 200 by the end of the year.
Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez made this announcement during a parliamentary session as the airline prepares to enhance its operations and introduce new aircraft to its fleet.
Among the existing staff, 80 are Antiguan nationals, while the remainder includes individuals from various countries, including Dominica, Trinidad, St. Vincent, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Martin, Ethiopia, and the UK.
Notably, the airline’s engineering team is exclusively comprised of Antiguans, highlighting local talent in a critical area of the airline’s operations.
Fernandez responded to a query from Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle, outlining the wider implications of LIAT 2020’s growth on employment. He emphasized that the anticipated increase in jobs does not account for the indirect employment opportunities created in the local community, which could result in an additional 300 jobs across the region.
The minister also provided insights into advancements in pilot training, revealing that six Antiguan pilots are currently undergoing training to operate LIAT’s new jets, with four nearing completion. The intention is for these jets to be piloted by Antiguans, along with pilots from other Caribbean territories for the time being.
Fernandez underscored the significance of LIAT 2020 as a locally operated airline, reinforcing Antigua and Barbuda’s role as a crucial hub in regional aviation. Furthermore, he noted a robust increase in tourism, with March 2025 witnessing record air arrivals, exceeding the previous peak seen in March 2024. Over the first quarter of 2025, overall arrivals rose by 7.5 percent compared to 2019, marking the best performance since the pre-pandemic era.
I don’t know Fernandez sounds too good to be true
I’m trying to do the calculations. So if 80 staff are Antiguans the other 15 dividend among the other 8 countries?
So that’s like 2 people per country.
Anyway I’m just happy to have Liat back in the skies
Well done uncle gassy. Got alot of heat for Liat but look today
Everytime I hear about liat my heart bleeds for these former workers who have nor horrendous their severance. The union keeps playing politics with the matter while some people will die before they get a dollar. Wicked David massiah driving around with his Honda and we walking.
I pray LIAT does well. Came in on a LIAT flight and it was EMPTY. We are hoping for full seats year round