More than a year after the board of directors of regional carrier LIAT announced it would shift its fleet base from Antigua & Barbuda to Barbados, the move has been formalized.
“For all intents and purposes I would have to say it is formalized. The shift has taken place and of course it will constantly be reviewed and we will see what we have to do going forward,” Minister of Tourism and International Transport Richard Sealy revealed to Barbados TODAY this afternoon.
Following a meeting of shareholder governments here in February 2015, Chairman of the group, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines announced that a decision had been taken to shift the cash-strapped airline’s base to Barbados because it made financial sense.
Gonsalves had said at the time, Barbados would house four of the airline’s new ATR aircraft, two would remain in Antigua and the other two would be based in Trinidad to focus on the more lucrative southern Caribbean as part of plans to restore the airline to financial stability.
i dont care where it is moved to. As long as we paying travelers are not kept waiting for more than two hours for a flight, and not a word from LIAT as to why THE FLIGHT IS NOT is not leaving as yet, communicating is lacking, make use of the PA system or the monitors at the airports to inform travelers. Travelers should also be fed if they have to wait for two or more hours for a flight. Not a word from officials. Very unprofessional. Need to do better. Also PLEASE MAKE THE SIGNS AT THE AIRPORTS BIGGER.(CHECK-OUT LOCATIONS)
Dominicans there is nothing in this move for us …. they took it out of the frying pan and threw it in the fire …. patience our Erika beaten budget will help bail it off again … just wait
u know what gauls me wiff allyuu Dominikanzz,, allallyuu want Liat to come pick up five of allyuu four times a day,,, this is not business economic sense, we never have have more dan ten going in an out to nowhere, I cannot send my plane for five of you unless, my aircraft have afull load, makes sense right, I wud even ban Dominika totally an fly over our nenen straight, take allyuu Ferry man
so wait now.. will my luggage still disappear in Antigua.
The entire LIAT operations should be moved from Antigua too much suffering to DA travelers. Let ANU be stop.
I believe that Dominicans are more concerned about more frequent and timely flights to and from Melville Hall Airport. If the shift in fleet base accomplishes that outcome then it is all positive. Timely LIAT air access to and from DA is pathetic and I have not heard and reasons why it is cannot be improved.
LIAT had 8 flights to Dominica prior to Erika and Wud only get decent loads during semester break for Ross,carnival, summer and Christmas…outside of that u bearly had 100 persons a day on the flights 90% being Europe and North American persons..more than 250 seats were made available to Dominica on a daily basis with less than 1/2 being sold..any right thinking company Wud cut back and operate flights that they can get at least 90% of seats sold.. With just the 2 flights LIAT has cut its operating cost and can break even on its Dominica route..
Dominican just like to talk..I remember them calling for a flight to st Lucia and from st Lucia ,they got that..on numerous occasion 2 and 4 persons booked out of Dominica sometimes none and 6 person combining in. What company is gonna continue to operate a flight that there quite clearly isn’t a need for?
“More than a year after the board of directors of regional carrier LIAT announced it would shift its fleet base from Antigua & Barbuda to Barbados, the move has been formalized.”
What difference is it going to make by shifting operation from Antigua to Barbados? If operating out of Barbados could have made a difference, LIAT would not be operating out of Antigua.
This will be about the third or forth time they are shifting from Antigua to Barbados; it is a waste of time: LIAT was born on the island of Montserrat, they eventually move it to Antigua, where it grew into what it is today, however it was always a none-profitable entity.
This move to Barbados, is another fools chase, if it did not work at least three times in the past what is going to make it work this time?
Great/strong move by the share holders, am just waiting to see if any improvement to Dominica flight and will the airline take responsibility for all of there late and cancel flight! Thank God
As I said before liat is a business so business decisions that affect profitability and service has to be made. Some will think it is some charitable organization. If the region was profitable the American eagle would still be around. Inter-island travel for work, business, sports and entertainment is nowhere near ihalf it’s potential. Barbados is a nicer hub.
Mr. Zulu, I know I do not know very much never mind everything. I wonder however, why do you believe that Barbados is a better HUB than Antigua, if you think it is a HUB, then you are suggesting that people traveling from all over the Caribbean traveling internationally usually go to Barbados to get connecting flights.
Se if you can understand this; if you have any sailing navigating the ocean, or flying aircrafts you will not have any problems understanding this I got my navigation education sailing our Ship around Denmark, Germany, and even in the waters of Dominica.
Barbados is located in the Atlantic ocean, the location is 13 degrees 10′ North of the equator, and 59 degrees 32′ West of the Prime Meridian. It is the easternmost located island of the Lessor Antilles in the West Indies, it lies 62 miles east of the Windward islands in the middle of the Caribbean sea.
Antigua on the other hand lie in the eastern arc in the leeward islands separating the Atlantic ocean…
Antigua on the other hand lie in the eastern arc in the leeward islands separating the Atlantic ocean from the Caribbean sea, and is located 650 Km South East of Puerto. The geographic coordinates of Antigua are 17 degrees 03′ North and 61 degrees 48′ West. Now Barbados and Antigua which is the closest to England, Puerto, Canada, and the United States of America?
Learn this any International Flight originating in Antigua going to England, when that aircraft takes off the pilots head direct East to South Hampton in England, any flight heading to the United States, can touch down in Puerto in less than thirty minuets where visitors, residence, and citizens are processed so when they get to their destination in the United States they simply walk out of the terminals.
Or the aircraft can touch down in Miami in a little over two hours, New York the same thing!
If we had an International Airport in Dominica it would serve as a better Hub than Antigua, because of our geographic…
If we had an International Airport in Dominica it would serve as a better Hub than Antigua, because of our geographic location! So, how do deduced that Barbados in the middle of the Caribbean sea is a better Hub than Antigua, LIAT did not move to Barbados because of better; if it was because of better, the last time the move to Barbados, they would not have returned it to Antigua!
Dodds flying due east from Antigua will take u to Africa. Not South Hampton England. You mixing up navigation with aviation for being a hub. I wonder how many boats you got lost.
Well try North East!
In any event when you leave Antigua, you first see France, then heading east or north East is south Hampton. I have to review that maybe I error you know, I’ll check to see.
If this airline was a real business instead of apolitical elephant it would go out of business a long, long time ago. That is the worst kind of business model- a political model.
Gray boy, I doh like you eh, but I have to give you thumbs up on dis wan here eh!
Anyway this thing about I do not like you is nothing more than a joke okay! Don’t come and hunt me down and assassinate me believing that I hate you.
Ah know how (alyou) like to say how people hate alyou an that Mountain Chicken crapo mentality Roosevelt Skerrit!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
It looks like David Evans has been vindicated. This makes sense and I hope it means better service for Dominica in the not too distant future.
Vindicated in what way? He’s plan was to bankrupt LIAT so he’s boys cud open a new airline and base it out of Barbados..when confronted he flat out denied it ..he brought in his so called advisors then put them in permanent positions to aid with his plans…his pocket full so guess he don’t worry. 3/4 of the management structure shud have followed suit. Just a bunch of under performing highly paid fools…LIAT will never operate like it shud under this structure.