Caribbean Helicopters, in conjunction with LIAT, to begin flights into Canefield

An aircraft from Caribbean Helicopters
An aircraft from Caribbean Helicopters

Beginning January 22, Caribbean Helicopters will begin to operate daily service into Canefield Dominica.

The service is being done in conjunction with LIAT, with which the company has entered a bespoke charter agreement.

The company will provide LIAT with charter flights into specific markets in the region.

Caribbean Helicopters operates a fleet of Piper Navajo Chieftain PA31-350 and Britten Norman BN2 aircraft, which are ideal for services into some of the smaller Caribbean islands, where demand is limited and a smaller aircraft is required. The company is based in Antigua.

Customers can continue to book these flights through LIAT, and they will operate with LIAT flight numbers.

Services to Canefield depart Antigua at 11:30 am and return at 12:40 pm daily.

Services will also begin for Nevis.

Nevis and Dominica Canefield become LIAT’s 19th and 20th destinations respectively.

All services will be able to accommodate seven passengers and one piece of checked baggage. The permitted weight is no more than 50 lbs (23 kgs), which is the inclusive amount for both checked baggage and hand baggage.

Commenting on the new agreement, David Evans, LIAT’s CEO said “We are pleased to be working with Caribbean Helicopters, as this new arrangement allows us to extend our network, open up new markets, and offer more choice to our customers. It is also an example of how locally based airlines can come together to improve connectivity throughout the region.”

Neil Dickinson, Managing Director of Caribbean Helicopters commented: “This is a great opportunity for us and allows us to support LIAT in the expansion of services. Our aircraft are ideally suited to serving the smaller markets in the region.”

LIAT will shortly announce the commencement of further services between Antigua and Guadeloupe.

See flight schedules below.

helicopter flights

 

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57 Comments

  1. budman
    January 8, 2016

    ok so currently Liat has regular plane service to DA. Winair also provides a service. there is an ADDED service via helicopter and people are complaining? its not that the helicopter has REPLACED a service. it has added. wow!

    • Malatete
      January 8, 2016

      For bloggers like Budman I repeat. Despite its name Caribbean Helicopters will not be using their helicopter fleet for this service between Antigua and Dominica but their fixed-wing aircraft. It is indeed, a useful additional service but will have little impact on the exisiting airlift. The aircraft they intend to use has a max seat capacity of 7. If it were to fly full, 7 days a week, that accounts for only 49 passengers a week each way, which is not more than LIAT’s smallest ATR 42 turboprop, which has a seating capacity of 50. So, even under the most utopian circumstance that would only represent 1 ATR-42 return flight a week.

  2. e
    January 8, 2016

    :-| :) airport Road hotel everything else will come with it unite together work together it will happen make it happen unite together work together it will happen make it happen it’s what the people want is Skerritt cannot do it get someone else who can nothing personal my country comes first

  3. Eric proud and said Domine can
    January 8, 2016

    Hi I am a Domine can all left Dominika 45 years ago I am so disappointed in what is going on on my island I lived in the UK I’ve travelled 29 different countries and I have never seen people fight amongst themselves like that sometime I’m sad to be Dominika proud in other ways but we need stress need to keep together build our international airport and move on as the great country we are with great people and have great minds we need to utilise today at stream The people we have in high-powered position at this day and age we cannot fungal not having an international airport Erica showed us what is needed we need to take that on board I am an engineer there is no reason why an airport cannot be built for international flights we know the country will be in debt every country are in debt even the great United States of America open your eyes Domine can be proud of your country help whoever is in power to better the country regardless if the policies are not the ones you would like…

    • Face the Facts
      January 9, 2016

      Some others who reside abroad are also disappointed in the goings-on in Dominica.
      My view is, some of those who reside in D/ca lack broad-mindedness to know what it entails to live in happiness, peace and unity. which cannot be obtained if there is constant friction, disagreement and bickering. D/ca cannot be built up with such attitudes.
      The problem among some of them is, they are not willing to cooperate with the present government. They look at flaws. They should know they are not without flaws and are the cause of division and disunity while blaming the government and those who are supportive.
      They either ignore, reject or refuse to consider that, no matter how they feel they are obligated to obey authority and cooperate with authority.
      For those who say they are Christians, it is in the Holy Bible. If we fail to practice it, we violate the Teachings and Law of God. They should also know that they should strive for peace and encourage it.

  4. January 8, 2016

    Using helicoptor to travel ,this is pure bull . The political representatives have their mouths shut over this matter because for them the people have no choice..yes they do have a choice…The choice is boycott Liat ,,take the ferry to another country and take the plane from there…

  5. Gazette Bwa Patat
    January 7, 2016

    Well, well, well. Is this what we have come to? Papa Met !!!!. Helas, I am ashamed of what my country has come to. Is this something worth celebrating ? Wake up my people, we have been asleep too long. Pour nous monte, nous ka dessan pah bonda. Secour.

    • Face the Facts
      January 9, 2016

      Can you fight LIAT?

  6. Crab and Manicou Hunter
    January 7, 2016

    Garcon, all you bring back helicopter in the place to frighten people animals. When that thing start flying and making noise, I cannot catch manicou or crab. Anyway, I am not worried. I know soon that thing will stop flying just like how Dominicans run Benja Shoe out of their sight seeing business because the noise was frightening away cow, goat and sheep. We have the abattoir now, so maybe all those animals will be on someone’s plate like my crab and mainicou for dinner. :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

    • Face the Facts
      January 9, 2016

      Helicopters are for remote areas; not a place as Dominica except if the landing is in a remote area. Melville Hall and Canefield are not remote areas.

  7. Fitzroy
    January 7, 2016

    I have been suggessting this for years…great to see this finally happenning

  8. Truth be Told
    January 7, 2016

    Soon we will be back on the Geest Boat for travelling to and from Dominica! :oops:

  9. Zandoli
    January 7, 2016

    These is no pleasing Dominicans. It looks like unless LIAT starts an international jet service to DA, there will always be grumbling. It may not have occurred to some of you, but if there was a huge demand into and out of Dominica, LIAT would be stupid not to meet that demand.

    I understand we have our bias toward Dominica and that is quite understandable, but it would be foolish of them not to allocate resources based on the demand.

    Some of you are behaving as if LIAT has a grudge against Dominica. That is not how business works. In business you deal with customers even if you hate their guts. All you want is their money.

    • @Zandoli January 7, 2016

      Your are so right! But then again this is the mentality of human beings, there is nothing one can do to satisfy the other.

      Some if these people–maybe the majority of them–do not with comprehension; I believe that most of them do not even read the News Article–they just go on DNO and write what they hear on Radio Talk Shows–but how unfortunate for the reputation of our own Dominica!

    • Face the Facts
      January 9, 2016

      You gave LIAT credit. There was always a demand. If this has diminished, it is because of LIAT lack of service and late flights.
      Let LIAT know it is costing tourists/visitors .to Dominica business.
      You do know previously LIAT no-show flights has cost LIAT expense for paying passengers hotel costs.
      I believe that LIAT decreased flights which has made it no longer responsible for passengers’ hotel costs. Did LIAT play a trick on especially Dominicans?
      Generally, passengers from Canada and US of all make reservations to leave in the morning and to arrive in A/gua or B/dos at a reasonable time to catch a same-day LIAT flight to Dominica.
      LIAT appears to be operating on its own and not in conformity with overseas airlines. LIAT does not consider that those passengers have no wish to overnight for all those hours which obviously cost them additional funds out of their pockets.

  10. Take some advice...
    January 7, 2016

    Yea yea, I would go in depth on this one but, nope. Seems pretty simple. Let me know of the fees and I will tell you about the clientele and other purposes for use of this service. With no doubt, it will run, but somethings are not for some people, so quit the negativity. Bye. AEG.

  11. Floridian diaspora
    January 7, 2016

    Dominica is in serious decline. Instead of progressing we are regressing yet some fools on here see this as moving forward. Remember when coming from islands from the south of Dominica you had to go to Antigua first then come to D.A after? Remember when coming from islands north of Dominica you had to go to St. Lucia or Barbados first before coming to D.A.? Why did we have to go through that toucher? And now Liat gives us this? They now classify us as a smaller Caribbean islands, where demand is limited. These guys have been disrespecting us for years but nevertheless I do not blame them. The amount of people travelling to and fro in Dominica is very small as we are not the type of people that have jobs where we can take yearly vacations. In our deprived state, there’s only one man who keeps travelling and he does it wasting our tax payers $$$ sipping champagne in first class. This disrespectful helicopter service is for the fortunate few, not us.

  12. Darky
    January 7, 2016

    NICE

  13. Kelly
    January 7, 2016

    I love it but this 50 lbs (23 kgs), which is the inclusive amount for both checked baggage and hand baggage, cannot work for me. I am not a light packer.

    • Face the Facts
      January 7, 2016

      This is the regulation of all airlines. Otherwise you will have to pay excess baggage. If your luggage exceeds a certain amount, you may have to leave some behind.

  14. budman
    January 7, 2016

    not a bad idea. kudos to Liat for this.

    • Me
      January 7, 2016

      Why LIAT? This was not their initiative but Caribbean Helicopters’ as far as I know.

  15. Amelia
    January 7, 2016

    Great idea…another company should invest in a similar venture….healthy competition is always good for everybody.. :wink:

  16. Tj
    January 7, 2016

    There they go again as soon as LIAT Sean improved service by another carrier to DA they come with a new idea to cripple the service. After they destroyed the competition they revert back to their old ways of providing non compete effectively service to DA. LIAt give DAThe service it deserves.

  17. Enfantpauve
    January 7, 2016

    A slight but useful improvement -seven passengers at 50 lbs total(checked and hand) baggage each!Thanks for this service.

  18. warma
    January 6, 2016

    so thats how we going to fly people in to the Kempinsky Resort? thats what out $8 million getting us? layba ka twavayyyyy

    • Tjebe Fort
      January 7, 2016

      How do we even know Roosevelt Skerrit actually made that payment to LIAT or the full amount? Unless LIAT confirm that he did I have an open mind because that fellow can not help himself lying.

  19. Belladonna
    January 6, 2016

    All other Caribbean islands getting major airlines, more planes, better and more direct access to their respective countries. Dominica gets a damn HELICOPTER service and we celebrate this as progress.. Where other countries are trying to bring as many people as possible to their shores, Dominica it seems is trying for first place in LAST RANK..
    *S. L. O. W CLAP…

    • Titiwi
      January 7, 2016

      According to one of our leading preachers we have the wisest Prime Minister in the entire Caribbean. Is this development a manifestation of that? Perhaps he knows things that we, mere mortals, are not privy to?
      Remember this is a tailored charter service, bound to be more expensive than a normal, regular air service, a premium product if you will and it would not be surprised to see it used, especially by government vips to connect with international flights in Antigua. The tax payer would pick up the tab.

  20. anony
    January 6, 2016

    PHENOMENAL

    • Shameless
      January 7, 2016

      :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: !

      Even Liat has settled for the fact that Dominicans can SUSAY SEL because that is what we deserve. As soon as they chase out Hummingbird and Winair they will vanish again. But, what can we do? Thanks anyway because half a loaf is better than none while we Sousaying Sel. :twisted:

      Assertive, NEVER Aggressive! :twisted:

  21. RastarMarn
    January 6, 2016

    Really why not a seaplane service instead???

    There is always an issue of high winds coming directly from the Atlantic Ocean allyou don’t think that will affect that kind of service???

    Think about a SeaPlane Service where people can bring all their luggage nuh,,,

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ-Iw_6tW40

  22. more of the same
    January 6, 2016

    When I saw this I thought they came to pick up PJ.

  23. clayton Felix
    January 6, 2016

    Liat is trying to save face, they realize that Winair means business flying from St Maarten daily into Canefield that is the reason for them using a helicopter to fly from Antigua into Canefield. I as many other people who has over the years received such bad service from the Leave Island anytime airline ( LIAT) hope that they just go away.

    • Malatete
      January 7, 2016

      The use of one of the company’s helicopters in the caption is misleading. They will not use their helicopters for this service but most like their Piper (PA31-350) Chieftain with a max seating capacity of 8 – they will only carry max 7 pax on this service because of weight limitations.
      Winair’s schedule calls for a service between Canefield and St. Maarten, using a Twin Otter, only three times a week(tuesday,thursday, friday) in addition to to two daily services via Pointe-a-Pitre_ and Melville Hall on the remaining four days (monday,wednesday,saturday,sunday) departing Meville Hall respectively at 09.45 and 17.45 hrs.
      So, for most people coming from N. America and Europe it would make sense to use the Winair service, either Canefield or Melville Hall instead with a more generous l luggage allowance.
      I can confirm that Winair’s Twin Otter from St, Maarten (direct) landed at Canefield this morning, 7 January spot on time at 09.00 hrs.

      • Malatete
        January 7, 2016

        PS. I forgot to clarify that despite its company’s name Caribbean Helicopters of Antigua also operate fix-wing aircraft and the Piper Chieftain earmarked for the Canefield service is not a helicopter but a twin-engined, fixed -wing aircraft (..very comfortable with generous leather seats!).

  24. indira Ghandi
    January 6, 2016

    So you mean to tell me in this day and age that is the progress de country making?
    Helicopter?
    I can understand you use helicopter in cases of emergency.
    So de country moving backward?
    I hope when Skerrit coming back he will come on de helicopter.

    • Channel 1
      January 7, 2016

      @indira Ghandi – Same ting I dere checking. While other islands are celebrating the start of new 100 plus seat jumbo aircraft service into their islands from far away lands, Dominica is left to celebrate the introduction of helicopter service & 10-seater aircraft (with no toilet) service into the island from just over yonder.

      I suppose that when Roosevelt Skerrit is the government, you attain new levels of backwardness under the illusion of ‘creative progress’. They should reserve all those helicopter flights for all those overseas-based Dominicans who came to vote for Roosevelt Skerrit in the last elections. Whenever any of them want to come DA, let them fly on de helicopter instead.

      • Floridian diaspora
        January 7, 2016

        Boy I like your statement. You thinking just like me. When we make one step forward, they forget we had taken previous taken ten steps backward before that. They ignore the ten backward steps and call the one step progress. These people are delusional. I guess there’ll be some flight constipation going on up there with these (toilet-less helicopters). The only time a passenger jet landing Melville Hall is when Skiritt voters do chartered flights to came and vote for him. “Labor ka travay”

    • January 8, 2016

      I have always said over and over that dominica is progressing in the reverse….

  25. Face the Facts
    January 6, 2016

    This sounds interesting. Hope it will be safe to travel on it. I suppose turbulence will still be experienced.
    I expect passengers may still have to overnight in Antigua and Barbados.
    Better yet if Dominica has an airport big enough to accommodate bigger planes and also an international airport that passengers could enjoy one-flight from Canada, the US and Great Britain/Europe of all. O Happy Day should this occur and in our lifetime, especially for older ones.
    It appears Dominicans will have to take what they get and with flying by helicopters when LIAT is not available. Oh Dear! This is not too encouraging. Nevertheless, let us see how effectively this will operate

  26. January 6, 2016

    how much will a ticket cost ???

    • Me
      January 7, 2016

      Check Whitchurch.

    • Anonymous
      January 7, 2016

      Hmm, good question but after tropical storm Erika they charged U.S.$.250/one way.

  27. MIA
    January 6, 2016

    Forward we go and not backward, (WE CAN AND NEED TO DO BETTER THAN THAT DOMINICA)

  28. MIA
    January 6, 2016

    That’s taking a step backward, Caribbean Helicopters should be working with the tourism industries and not regular in and out of Dominica.

  29. Malatete
    January 6, 2016

    That is something but not enough. There is no flight from Antigua to Canefield for same-day connections with international flights from N. America and Europe (particularly the U.K.) without the need for staying overnight in Antigua. I suspect they only got the permit to operate provided they do this in conjunction with LIAT, which is a kind of blackmail, because I know from experience that Caribbean Helicopters are perfectly able to handle direct bookings themselves. For Europe and N. America I will continue to use Winair (via St. Maarten) and/or the ferry connection and Airfrance/AirCaraibe via Guadeloupe or Martinique instead, especially if there is no interlining in Antigua between Caribbean Helicopters and LIAT.

    PS. What happened to the Winair schedule between Canefield and St. Maarten, supposed to start tomorrow 7 Jan and Hummingbird? The latter were supposed to resume service at the end of 2015.

  30. UDOHREADYET
    January 6, 2016

    Fantastic idea!! hold strong and be steadfast it will pay off!

  31. Backstreet coffee
    January 6, 2016

    Zorr what next ..sling shot from Antigua ? Mr. Skerrit oye, give me back my vote!

    • nonamegal
      January 7, 2016

      LOL at slingshot. Bondieu you kill me there.

    • Channel 1
      January 7, 2016

      @Backstreet coffee – You were well wrong to vote for Dominica’s most backward government ever ie Roosevelt Skerrit. And I rather suspect that you knew beforehand that it would be very foolish to vote for Roosevelt Skerrit but you still did.

      All you MUST learn eventually.

      Labbouuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrr…………………………….

  32. Janet
    January 6, 2016

    Dominica has now been categorised as a smaller Carbbean island, where demand is limited!

    So why or why did Dominica invest so much money into Liat, when Liat is constantly treating it as unworthy of a good service?

    So now we are to be crammed like sardines in a helicopter with less luggage?

    What next?

    • Me
      January 7, 2016

      Good questions Janet but you forgot to ask the really big one. How are we going to fill all these hotels promised by Skerrit with services like these?

  33. verna
    January 6, 2016

    this is just a backward step in my view…

    you gonna have the chaos of those cross winds then flights diverted back to Melville Hall as this time of year the winds are normally high, the records are known to show that..

    seems like liat is a headless company just trying things the same ole way, without any positive structure in place..

    but it’s the caribbean just like their windies cricket nothing to shout about, poor leadership is crippling the caribbean’s dream..

  34. Liat keells
    January 6, 2016

    It’s to expensive to go to Dominica! Liat killed our overnight tourism! This is crazy!
    It’S more expensive to go from NYC TO ST. MAARTIN THAN IT IS TO GO FROM EUROPE TO SM OR USA TO SM. THIS IS CRAZY! POLITICS IS KILLING THE LITTLE CARIBBEAN COUNTRY!

  35. Mop
    January 6, 2016

    Connet vive da wi :)

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