The Antigua News Room online news service reported Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne as saying on Tuesday that that permission has been granted to LIAT to fly to Barbados.
This comes after protracted discussion between Antigua and Barbados, and Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after LIAT had been refused permission to schedule flights into those countries, and five other destinations, beginning November 30.
There has been no indication of a response, one way or the other, from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, up to press time, Wednesday.
Notwithstanding PM Browne effort to get LIAT ‘flying again, a cautionary outreach to the Prime Minister has come from the former head of the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority, Gatesworth James.
Speaking on Observer Radio’s Big Issues on Sunday after Prime Minister Gaston Browne had accused St Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados of discriminating against LIAT, James called on LIAT officials to ensure that they “dot their I’s and cross their T’s” as efforts continue to restore the carrier.
“… It (air travel industry) is sophisticated and highly regulatory, and it is so because of the kind of services and products that we are carrying,” he advised. “You don’t leave anything unturned,” James said.
James contended that the carrier should have had everything in place before flights were scheduled.
“I cannot see why this matter occurred so early in the age of this new LIAT,” he said.
However, the aviation consultant said the issues at hand are easy fixes and he is encouraged the carrier to conduct business with professionalism, since that will help the public regain confidence in the carrier. (Sources: ANR, CMC)
