ST. JOHN’S ANTIGUA, November 1, 2020 – LIAT, The Caribbean Airline will return to Caribbean skies today following a seven-month absence. The airline will operate its first flight today from the V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua to Dominica.
LIAT 401 will depart Antigua at 4:00 p.m. and arrive at Douglas Charles Airport at 4:45 p.m. The return flight, LIAT 402 will depart from Dominica at 5:00 p.m. and arrive at V. C. Bird International Airport at 5: 45 p.m.
LIAT will operate a limited schedule of flights when it launches its commercial schedule later in November which will return connectivity to its network which was impacted by the shutdown. The airline is currently completing all the training and regulatory requirements for the territories it will be flying to. It is expected to announce later this week its limited schedule as well as the destinations it will be flying to.
Also, several new procedures will be implemented to ensure the safety of passengers as well as reduce the risk of transmission of COVID. These include the mandatory wearing of masks at check-in and onboard, enhancement in its cleaning and sanitization protocols and new boarding procedures.
The airline was forced to suspend services in April 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to several destinations imposing travel bans and closing their borders. The airline, which is currently under administration, is being restructured to improve its viability and the sustainability following a decision by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to reorganise the airline.
Passengers will be able to book flights via the new booking engine on the LIAT website (www.liat.com ) which will be launched shortly. The airline will also be announcing its policy for persons who will want to utilise their credits to book flights during the new limited schedule.
However, passengers seeking refunds will have to await the completion of the review by the Administrator.