It has put a temporary halt (until April 18) to its passenger service, but regional airline LIAT is not sitting idle as far as attempting to recoup losses occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline, in an email response to questions posed by Barbados Today, indicated that it will be offering charter services and flights on requests, while anticipating an improvement in coming weeks.
“With several territories set to re-open their borders and lift their curfews by the end of April, we anticipate a gradual improvement in demand for passenger services by the end of June. This will allow the airline to revert to a relatively normal passenger service from July through to the end of 2020,” the airline said in its email as referenced.
The email also pointed to an expansion in the airline’s cargo service as “a support role in the region.” The airline never ceased its cargo service.
In fact, the airline has not been idle, and among the support it has offered, included: assistance to Dominica and Barbados, bringing in 90 Cuban specialists as far as the latter was concerned; assisting governments in the repatriation of citizens.
‘While LIAT originally kept a reduced schedule to maintain connectivity, as of March 31, ten destinations within LIAT’s network had closed their borders and others imposed curfews as well as travel restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19,’ Barbados Today reported.
While maintaining a skeleton staff during the period of suspension, the airline has also implemented a temporary layoff of employees effective April 1, 2020, that affected staff across the network. (Source: Barbados Today)