Prime Minister Gaston Browne continues to advance his proposal for a new regional airline called OECS Air with Caribbean leaders, revealing talks between Saint Martin’s Governing Council President on a potential Air Antilles and LIAT merger.

The proposal was first raised by Prime Minister Browne as part of his push to stabilise regional aviation industry by positioning LIAT as a dedicated sub-regional carrier operating under the OECS Air banner.

President of the Territorial Council of Saint-Martin Louis Mussington had visited Antigua to explore a cooperation agreement between Air Antilles and LIAT.

The Prime Minister said he had pushed for a more ambitious outcome, proposing that both carriers be consolidated into OECS Air rather than simply formalising a cooperation arrangement between two separate entities.

Speaking on his weekly radio programme, the Prime Minister said that in addition to his initial identification of approximately US$60 million in unclaimed deposit receipts at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, he had identified a second funding stream through the EU Interreg Fund, a European Union financing mechanism accessible through French overseas territories including Guadeloupe and Martinique, which he estimated could contribute around 70 million euros to the initiative.

Prime Minister Browne said he had asked Mussington to consult with colleagues in Guadeloupe and engage French metropolitan authorities on whether the French territories would collaborate with OECS member states on the consolidated carrier.

Combined, he said the two funding sources would be sufficient to purchase or lease an additional five to six aircraft, bringing the total fleet to approximately 14, which he said could adequately service the entire region.

“We should be able to purchase or maybe lease another five to six aircraft bringing the total fleet possibly to about 14 aircraft which I believe will be able to service the entire region,” he said.

Beyond intra-regional routes, the Prime Minister said the consolidated carrier should operate flights to Panama City, framing it as a trade diversification opportunity for consumers across the OECS at a time of rising United States tariffs and increasing global economic uncertainty.

“There’s no reason why we can’t get maybe two aircraft that can do South America going to Panama to provide more people with air travel into Panama,” he said, noting that Panama offers consumers access to quality products at prices significantly lower than those available through North American markets.

Both the OECS Air proposal and the question of French territorial participation remain at the discussion stage, with further consultations among regional governments required before the initiative advances toward implementation.