Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 November 2024, 21:56 by Writer
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne disembarks LIAT 2020’s inaugural flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
LIAT (2020), the third version of the regional airline, was Tuesday urged to provide predictable service on the Guyana route which has been traditionally a profitable one for the carrier.
Guyana’s Aviation Minister, Juan Edghill issued the call at the official welcome ceremony for LIAT 20’s inaugural flight whose passengers included Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne and his delegation for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-India summit to be held on Wednesday.
“Since Guyana remains a growing and expanding powerhouse rising to prominence, your chances of destination Guyana and participation in traffic out of Guyana will only lend to your profitability so we ask for reciprocal treatment by ensuring that Guyanese are well-served,” Mr Edghill told the event which also included LIAT 2020’s Chief Executive Officer, Hafsah Abdulsalam and Antigua and Barbuda’s Development Commissioner, Davin Joseph.
Guyana’s Aviation Minister, Juan Edghill addressing the welcome ceremony for LIAT 2020’s inaugural flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh said his organisation and its Antigua and Barbuda counterpart would be working closely to ensure that LIAT 2020 would serve both countries and the airline well. “We, of course, have a huge diaspora in Antigua—persons wanting to reconnect to the homeland. It’s important to provide that,” he said. Mr Baksh said Guyana’s unique nature and ecotourism offering is part of a multi-destination Caribbean tourism product. “The tourism authorities (of Antigua-Barbuda and Guyana) will be working closely together that we curate the right itineraries to ensure that the payload factor for LIAT is sustained,” he said.
Saying that more airlines “coming on board” offer more choices, Mr Edghill said, “we look forward to good pricing because the bottom-line here is pricing.” He promised that the Guyana government would do all it can to ensure the carrier is successful.
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, in his remarks, sought to assure Guyana that LIAT 2020 is financially sound compared to the two previous versions of the carrier because of an almost EC$200 million (Eastern Caribbean dollars) capital injection and is debt-free. Unlike the previous LIAT companies that were not properly capitalised, and could not pay for liabilities and assets, he said LIAT 2020 would be able to deal with its expenses in the unlikely event of failure. “As it stands now, we have a far more efficient LIAT and one that is well-capitalised. It means, too, that the staff who work with LIAT would not have to worry about a fly-by-night airline going bankrupt and that they may not be paid,” he said.
Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh.
Mr Brown said a sustainable LIAT is a “quintessential institution” for the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) because the movement of people is key to regional integration. He said it was likely that existing operators would have to merge their operations because LIAT plans to remain in the regional marketplace and serve the most Caribbean destinations at effective pricing and quality of service. “I want to emphasise sustainability because there are many of them operating within the region but don’t be surprised if there is a consolidation of the market in the coming months and years because many of them are being opportunistic. LIAT is in it for the long haul,” he said.
LIAT 2020 is a partnership between the Antigua and Barbuda government and Air Peace Caribbean Limited, whose parent company is Air Peace International, the largest West African airline which serves a number of international destinations including the United Kingdom. He said his administration expects that Air Peace International would serve as an airbridge between the Caribbean homeland and the African motherland.
Mr Brown said LIAT would be adding a 125-seater plane by mid-next year to serve international destinations. Currently, the six planes can serve regional destinations between Jamaica in the north and Guyana.