The Board of Directors of LIAT (1974) Limited has accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ian Brunton, effective 1st October 2013.
Julie Reifer-Jones has been appointed to act as CEO.
The Board of Directors thanked Brunton for his service and wished him every success in his future endeavors, according to a brief press release from LIAT.
Brunton handed in his resignation earlier this month from the embattled and cash strapped airline after what in his own words was a “disastrous summer” for the Antigua based carrier.
Brunton, a former chief executive of Trinidad & Tobago state owned Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) was appointed CEO of LIAT on August 1, 2012.
His appointment came during a period of massive sustained losses for the airline – a combined amount of almost EC $80 million in losses from 2010 – and a deficit of around EC $344 million by the end of 2012, according to media reports.
He has been leading a US$100 re-fleeting process from ageing Dash-8 aircraft to ATR’s – which is designed to help move the airline back into profit by lowering maintenance and fuel costs.
He was regarded as the best man for the job when he took over LIAT in August 2012.
I have emailed and called Liat’s customer relations several times since October 28th 2013, and have received no response. I would appreciate if you can read the message at the bottom of this email and assist me. I very frustrated with the way I have been treated with Liat.
Dear Sir or Madame,
I am writing you to file a formal complaint against your airline. I am a university student who saved for six months to purchase tickets for myself and my boyfriend to go on vacation to St. Lucia and so far it has been a nightmare thanks to Liat airlines. My boyfriend and I flew by your airline from Barbados to St. Lucia via St Vincent. Our flight was supposed to depart Barbados at 8:10am on 28th October 2013 however it was an hour and a half late. While waiting at the departure gate in Barbados, we were not told that our flight was delayed and when we asked there was no response. Your staffs at the airport were extremely unfriendly and unhelpful. When we finally boarded the plane, it was dirty with dry paint on the seats. After arriving in St. Vincent we we’re suppose to have a five and a half hours layover with our plane departing at 2.40 pm for St. Lucia however once again we were also delayed for about two and a half hours. Once I arrived in St. Lucia and picked up my checked in luggage (which I checked in at Barbados in perfect pristine condition and picked up in St. Lucia in an horrendous condition) which was damaged. The front pocket was completely ripped off. I am attaching a picture, which will show the extent of the damage. When I went to the Liat customer service desk in St. Lucia to a file a report I was passed around to different representative and made to feel like a criminal. I was asked several times by two different representative if I caused the damaged to my suitcase and the customer representatives was extremely reluctant to file a report. The representative told me that since I was in St. Lucia for only five nights that it would be impossible for him to do anything so I should wait to file a report at the Barbados office. I told him I wanted to file a report right away so he finally agree to it but continue to tell me that there was nothing he could do due to the time limit. He told me that he would fax over the “Property Irregularity Report” to the Barbados office and address it to Antonio who he said was the manger so that I when I returned to Barbados an investigation would have already been completed.
When I retuned to Barbados on 2nd November 2013 Antonio was not working and no one had received a copy of the “Property Irregularity Report” or even heard about my luggage being damaged. I spoke with hustle representatives who then transfer me to baggage claim manger who was also very hustle and told me that Liat would probably not compensate me for my damage suitcase or fix it because company policies do not cover external damages like zippers or handles. I explained to him that my suitcase was not missing a zipper or a handle it was missing the entire front cover. He took a picture and said that he would pass it on to Antonio on Monday 4th November when he returned to work and that Antonio would give me a call to discuss my situation further. However, when Monday came I had my boyfriend call Antonio around noon when I did not hear from him. Antonio told my boyfriend that he would investigate and call back within in three hours. We did receive a call from Antonio who said Liat would not cover the damage done to my suitcase because there were not responsible for any external damages. I was extremely shocked to hear that an airline company would take responsibility for their mistake. My suitcase was in pristine condition when I checked it in on the 28th October and when I received it later within the day it was visibly damaged. My luggage was damaged while it was in the care of Liat’s employees therefor I find it hard to believe how Liat refuse to take any responsibility. I have filed a criminal negligence police report and if need be I will take action against Liat. I will not be held responsible for Liat’s gross negligent. This has been the worst flight experience and I am extremely upset about how I was treated and especially about my luggage which is expensive, it is a Samsonite. I paid a lot of money for my vacation and so far your airline has not only ruined my luggage but also has scared me mentally.
Great news! One down… but more heads need to roll. This mess was not the responsibility of one man only. By the way, who is this acting CEO Julie Reifer-Jones? I understand she is the Chief Financial Officer under Brunton. I hope she is not stoping for too long. She clearly is another one of the old regime that is responsible for Liat’s problems.
People like Gerrad Coolslatigue(not sure of spelling) in Dominica needs to GO!! Old ideas needs to be FLUSHED out! No sense putting on a new roof on old pillars.
LIAT needs new blood for profitability…
LIAT should have chosen the Dash-8 Q400 series which has 78 seats.This airplane would require no new training for pilots or engineers.This airplane is comparable to the ATR-72 in cost, fuel consumption and speed,etc.Liat’s present fleet is the Dash-8 Q300 series with 50 seats which has served them well.
Heads must roll and that’s coming to an end!
It is now clear that Caribbean people annot run an Airline business and those of us who stay from the outside looking in think that the airline industry is an easy and quick fix one.
I tip my hat to LIAT and other Airlines that have to go with shit everyday with authorities and disruptive passengers.
Good riddance to you sir…..
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
Why not hub out of Melville Hall? It is midway and DA is a shareholder.
they will not hub out of DA for the same reason AEagle didn’t, anyone overnighting has to get to Roseau and back for 5am to prep the plane, the hotel in Cabrits should have been built in Marigot (but its a “blue area”- petty politics barring development of the country), and it would be the only full hotel on the island year round.
As to the head rolling, bet there was a massive golden handshake. Will it change anything?
Skerro has been detained, now he needs to be delayed and his bags go elsewhere en route home to feel like the rest of us.
how can you hub out of a place that lacks an international airport? do you know what “hub” means?
If the roof is gone and the structure which supports the roof remains, the next roof may also cave on account of that compromised structure.
I am not sure that the head/manager/leadership is the main issue with LIAT. There are countless structural hiccups added to the political mele and the cultural disconnect that impedes LIAT’s progress.
LIAT is a fabulous Caribbean entity and we should seek to support and protect it. The first move, however, is to rescue the airline from the island or territorial political strangle hold. The governments of the region MUST support LIAT but they should not seek to control it.
Criticizing LIAT is not enough. We need to restructure the airline from the ground up. The airline should become an airline of the people and not to be used as the politicians’ football. The next CEO will reap similar fortunes if she is not allowed to lead the airline out of its present business setup.
Brunton took the fall for Liat. There is no way he could have turned this around in one year. The rot was there long before he showed up. There has always been a problem of poor management, too much political intervention particularly by the Antiguan government and a militant Antiguan union. Once these factors remain, Liat will continue to have problems.
He did the dignified thing however it’s not enough ! More heads should roll!! The inconvenience to many people all over has been awful. Not to mention the negative effect it’s had on our tourism!!!! Liat needs a shake up from top to bottom because the latter is the type if service we’ve been getting !!!
The entire board of Liat needs to go,Liat needs a new hub which should be in St.Vincent.
If St Vincent is a hub then everybody will have to go there to intransit. Antigua is the most central in the caribbean. Frank Deslisle blessed LIAT to Antigua before he died. It cannot be taken like that.
No to the PM of St.Vencent he was the person who came to D’ica and tell us we didnt need an international airport and what happened since then they are building an international airport and do you know who gave it to them the same TAIWANESE that our GOVT throw out of D’ica,so why cant the new HUB be based in D’ica.
grell? hub out of Vincyland? whatver you are smoking put it down. it would be more costly to hub out of Vincy due to geographic location.