Barbadian taxpayers can continue to fund LIAT, but St Lucian Prime Minister Allen Chastanet says not a dollar from his country is going into the cash-strapped regional airline.
Moreover, some of his colleagues in CARICOM might not like it, but Chastanet told the DAILY NATION he wanted to send the current LIAT board of directors packing, replacing them with people more savvy in the industry.
Charging that there was too much political meddling in the regional airline, Chastanet, a consistent critic of LIAT, said in a recent interview it was time shareholder governments took their hands off the carrier and allowed it to operate on a strictly commercial basis.
The governments not wanting to give tax payers money to liat they should responsibility for financing all liat operations in their countries.while we dont condone liat incompetence,we need to pay attention to their cost centers ,having to maintain facilities in every island is costly.
for all of those persons who are praising Chastenet, none of you seemed to have asked a rather important question: if not liat, what airline would facilitate inter- island travel? this has nothing to do with whether we all have international airports. even if we all did, that only makes INTERNATIONAL travel easier. regional travel on large, long carrier jets would not be economically feasible. imagine taking a flight from ANU to SKB on a jet when by liat its only 20 minutes. or between ANU and DOM which is 35 minutes on Liat. the maintenance cost for short travel stops are extensive. this would escalate the airfares to prices far above Liat. especially in the off season when there are flights with less than 10 people on board. I say all this to say that, in the absence of an efficient ferry boat system, we will always have need for small carriers for inter-regional travel that would have to be subsidised given that we don’t control the price of fuel. so if not liat then who?
The problem isn’t that inter-island travel in the region isn’t profitable, the problem is that LIAT’s institutional culture isn’t focused on customer service or operational efficiency the way it would have to be were it not subsidised.
Anyway, the proposal isn’t to shutter LIAT, it’s to leave it to succeed or fail on its own merits, like any other business. Under those circumstances, if LIAT successfully adapts, then fine. If not, then other airlines in the region will add routes to compete them out of business. Either way, passengers win.
Stteve,
If Liat were left to “run like a business” many of the countries, including Dominica, would be left without flights. It would probable do want Eagle did, or what Caribbean Star did, or the many others. The irony of Chastanet’s statement is that was part of a team running an airline as a business and it failed. It was called Air Jamaica
What other airlines are u talking about, they have all come and gone. All the big airlines in the us own regional air lines to take their passengers from their main hubs to the regional airports. Most of these airports if not all can accommodate big jetliners. But it is more economical for these airlines to use smaller aircrafts to set service these regional airports. Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun is now aviation history.
I hope Chastanet use the State Funds to charter private planes for Caribbean Travel and see how far he will reach. It’s people like him LIAT does wait for thats why the flights are late and when LIAT overbook have to offload passengers for.
When LIAT in hot water, everybody else like to jump out the pot. A set of JUDASSES out there. If LIAT was allowed to run as an Airline, they would make their own operational decisions and everyone would be happy. Look at the taxes posed to that Airline from Regional Governments, you think thats right to treat your regional carrier like a SCARIFICE?
And speaking about sacrifice Dominicans talking, when no one wants to fly to Dominica because of all you weather LIAT will still take her ==== and bring all you. She has no shame.
Most people, myself included, thought Caribbean Star was better. If they hadn’t had to compete unfairly against a subsidised LIAT, they would still be around today.
Thats right Mr. PM. I agree 100%
I salute you man,first of all you do not need this incompetent airline and the waste of time leaders,great job,liat can go packing.
I agree with Chastanet to some extent in that the governments should not have active participation in the daily operations of the airline. This current team of so called executives should be fired and replaced with more competent persons. The governments should remain just what they are…shareholders..allow the people to run the show and just collect their dividends. If LIAT were to be privatized smaller islands like ourselves who have no choice but to rely on LIAT will suffer. Our population is small and our tourism inducstry is not booming like bdos or lucia so demand is not as high. Commercial airlines operate solely for profit. If little LIAT will cancel flights to here in favor of bdos on busy day what’s that for a large commercial airline?
The solution is to replace the board and get the governments influence out of the daily operations of LIAT. LIAT has the potential to be a very profitable and reliable airline if the caribbean countries work together.
The Punjabi grad in Dominica acting as PM should take that and run with it,,. Investing in a panier avec les trous. Investing in a basket with holes calls Liat. vide. Throwing money… Find alternatives for destination Dominica imcompetent … PM
Some of all you just like those britsh voters. Sml .st lucia pm can sat that because he has alot of choices , what do we have? An airline is not a cheap enterprise we saw what happened when standford tried it. While liat service is not the best we cannot be so ungrateful as people.
The St Lucian PM can say that as he has international flights and the level to Tourism means Liat need to go to St Lucia. Dominica n the other hand taking that stands Liat stopping flights to DA. We are finished. All well and good for those of you who stay out of DA and think we have a choice visiting DA once a year or less.
Good Luck
Easy for him to say and do. He inherited so many long standing air travel options in St Lucia. People who support his position on LIAT need to see the whole picture. He does not need LIAT. If LIAT collapses, St. Lucia has very little to lose.
Dominica needs LIAT or some type of similar airline that will serve us effectively. We could run an airline on our own or share the costs of running an airline with other islands if economies of scale and world class service are guaranteed. With the traffic we have arriving and departing Dominica currently, we are in no position to make statements like that and it is totally irresponsible of Mr Chastanet to grand stand against LIAT in this politically charged environment. He could have said “St. Lucia has many air travel options and so we can do without LIAT but in the interest of regional travel, my Government will be looking carefully at its operations before making any commitments towards its future”.
On the contrary if Liat stops flying to Saint Lucia or collapses Saint Lucia would lose out big time. Chastenet talks big but Gonzalves of SVG and Browne of Antigua know he is vulnerable. Some are of the view that if Chastenet continues his rants about not putting a cent in Liat the airline should end flights to SLU. The same goes for Grenada. Unemployment and tourist arrivals in those islands would rise and fall respectively. Talk is cheap.
i want everyone to get an atlas have a look and tell which country is in the center of the caribbean “”Dominica”” but alas we have never taken our rightful position as the middle man this is an indictment not only on this present government but pass governments in business the middle man is the one controlling the action Dominica a place blessed with everything to be the number destination at the time and into the future has failed to takes its place and has been passed by everyone so don’t blame population but leaders and more so the citizens for continuously electing these failures as leaders it speaks more about us as a people than anything else so while i support Mr Chastanet views on liat we dominicans need to accept the fact that we allowed ourselves to be at the mercy of liat
u stupid idiot dominicans agreeing with a pm who has an international airport if liat dont come to da hw will the citizes/tourist visitors get there liat has it problems yes but there is no other american eagle pull out and has a great impact so let’s thank liat
I like this guy.
Deltina Castro don.t you think it is time to get Liat off. Mybe you are not old enough but that airline is lousy before 1963.Do you know your P.M. gave Liat 8 million . Ask the chief of Liat in Dominica the P.M good friend where is that money. So let Stlucia pay and get Reliable and Good service . I agree with St.L ucia P.M he is thinking of the welfare of his country first unlike your s. SHAME
is the 8m stock certificates lodged at the treasury?
Why dosnt chastinet invest some of the millions he has in an airline to serve the region..his family is worth almost 100 million dollars yet all he does is talk Liat this and Liat that. He knows the aviation industry is difficult and that’s why he won’t use his family funds to start up an airline..he is always willing to tell Liat how it should operate but won’t invest in the company which wud give him a platform to make change. I say to u sir u put up or shut up.
Allen Chastanet is wrong for St. Lucia. Time will only tell when he runs St. Lucia down to the ground, they will cry back for Kenny. St. Lucians will have a harder time travelling through the islands and that will cause an uproar in St. Lucia.
In conclusion, Chastanet is a GOOD example of a FOOLISH LEADER. STAY TUNED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
It is hypocritical of you to look at the outside while ignoring the inside…Do you know the demons in leadership in Dominica,has already run it to the ground????You need to dwell on that some more…I have no fear for Chastenet.He is miles ahead of the gang of demons we have governing Dominica!!!STOP YOUR HYPOCRISY!
It is also hypocrisy to go against your own and call them Demons. Not even UWP would have made a statement like that. I said that Chastanet is wrong for St Lucia and soon they will kick him out. I’m even seeing that there is internal disagreements within his party now for that STUPID statement. No larger carrier will want to take up LIAT Operation in the region because it is stress.
Now you talking about millions poured out of the Caribbean to the USA and our economy in the OECS will fall because LIAT is the largest investment in the OECS.
Mr. Chastanet St.Lucia is not a shareholder of LIAT. If u want to talk become a shareholder. But for Barbados Antigua, Dominica and St. Vincent there would be no LIAT for u to belly ache about. Better yet start your own airline and show LIAT how it’s done. And for Dominicans supporting this stupid statement, what’s the alternative?
Mr. Chastenet. My second prime minister. Man of steel. I support you 1000000% and to those of you who are saying that Saint Lucia can afford to say that , you are talking a bunch of gabbage. Truth that Saint Lucia is beind serviced by many other airlines but Mr. Chastenet’s decision and statement is not just right but it is also justifiable. Case in point. The poor service that you all are receiving here they are also receiving it. Just remember that Mr. Chastenet has been a business man for decades and im sure his not only speaking out of emotions but out of business sense as well. In case all u ahbebehs didnt know the super js and the mega j chain of supermarkets that u all enjoy shopping at wen u all go on vacation . He’s the successful business man behind them. And stop trying to compare Saint Lucia to Dominica. These are two very different worlds. If u get my drift.
your nose couldn’t be any higher up the canal, if you tried
Liat should reciprocate and say not a flight to St. Lucia and let me see which airline will come it. Come on Liat, test it. Pull out of St. Lucia for a month. The truth is if Liat runs like a business then lots of countries, including Dominica, would not get flights, or very reduced flights. And since JetBlue or American or BA, or any of the international carriers don’t fly inter Caribbean. I wonder what these countries would do
Is this the same person who was a very strong supporter of American Eagle? Did his government used to subsidizes the same A. E? Where is A. E. today? Does LIAT still take travelers to his country? He is a hypocrite….
We pump our money in and we get rubbish out. I agree. Time for Liat to find out what life is like in the real world.
We have a leader in Dominica who is a liar taking the country money giving it to list what we got? I love his dimples fools.we are
The Dominican PM. can’t say the same as the Lucian PM, because he and his supporters said that D/ca don’t need a Jet airport not before 30yrs, I mean when a man has his money plus ambition he can go to the extreme, but when U already poor, corrupt, with no ambition where does that live U
So if he don’t support LIAT then what?
that is good for those SKERITITE donkey …. Dominicans
I endorse this PM. However, it may not need LIAT since it has an international airport.
Dominica needs LIAT but it is unreliable. LIAT cut service and now passengers who fly with LIAT must overnight and pay for accommodation including meals and taxi fare to and from a hotel. This is really poor service and more expensive.
Way lay lay what has this pm done for saint lucia other than talk.at least let,s see his first budget.does he know how many people from the caribibean use liat to go to saint lucia on holiday.i am not judging the pm but let us see he does something other than talk.
What happen to the Ferry??
Great move sir I wish the other leaders had balls like you. Our minister of tourism has none. Boy oh boy I miss Charles She had balls. And Mrs Theresa May another woman with an iron fist.
I agree with you Mr.Chastanet!, Tell that to our …… PM Skerrit, wasting all our money on this hopeless airline. Liat is so incompetent.
Perhaps that is one of the best, then most appropriate decision you will even make in your tenure as St. Lucia’s Prime Minister. Let LIAT die!
LIAT has never earn one penny in dividends; it is an one profit blood sucking less taking up airspace, wasting peoples time. No government should waste their taxpayers money in a none profitable entity, be it a rum shop, baker shop, a so called Airline.
LIAT has out lived it usefulness, International Airports are the necessities of the twenty-first century. If Dominicans want exists in the thirteenth and nineteenth century under Skerrit short-sighted no vision backwardness, that’s their pleasure.
I do agree with your bold stand, and correctness not to waste your peoples taxes into something from which a return can never be accomplished! Dominicans say the name Nature island is all they need to make progress, Skerrit said Dominica does not need what is in Las Vegas to attract tourist to Dominica, I suppose LIAT and night landing…
I hope when u let liat die the St.Lucians working with liat including pilots will easily find employment with your new airline.
yet when tropical storm thomas ravaged st lucia a few years back its the very same liat he is so against that came to the rescue.. not a thank you from him. this joker had no problem with st lucia paying millions to american airlines every year so they could keep coming to st lucia.. crab in a barrel mentality
Don’t you know St. Lucia has an International Airport in believe View Port, which perhaps has the longest Runway in the Caribbean.
Don’t you know they also have an municipal airport better than you have in Dominica in Castries.
So explain how LIAT came to rescue St. Lucia, St. Lucia is a place you can go to charter an private aircraft to take you anywhere in the Caribbean, and Florida.
We need to give Lennox Linton a chance.
Amen….I AGREE `=1000%
These guys are leaders not deceivers..To the other Caricom leaders who may not like it, tell them GO TO HELL!GO TO HELL!GO TO HELL! OR even better ask for a DEBATE,that when you will see how fast one particular evil leader will run!!
When a Man speaks truth to power it resonates so deeply as if to bring the pillars of the earth to tremble…
BRAVO Mr. Chastenet
PM Chastanet I salute you Sir…..the goverance of the Caribbean needs men like you. Be careful with the so call child pm from Dominica. Put him in his place if and when the need arises.
Nah So error will not know what to answer I bet you his Senior Council will answer soon from now.
But strange EH!! St Lucia will pay American Airlines US$1.5Million for flying into St. Lucia. Isn’t that ironical??
Is that the way it works? It surprises me. I would think it is the other way around. American Airlines should pay St. Lucia for using its airspace and for flying its passengers there. After all, this airline makes enough money per passenger.
Paying this airline for bringing in passengers is as if the St. Lucian government is begging for visitors.
While they may be paying American Airline US$1.5 million as you say to fly into St Lucia, If the American tourist which are the stay over and they spend by a factor of say 50 times, leaving over US$75.0 million in hotel accommodations, meals, car rentals, tours, entertainment, etc, the US$1.5 million is a good investment. Someone with commonsense would have done the analysis. One thing that concerns me very much on both DNO and the Talk Shows, people write and or speak, make statements, but do not have the ability to analysis data to fully explain the particular situation.
You are Miss informed – Slu pay $1.5 million US – you to American Airlines Yearly – and she gets in return – A Boeing 757 -200 – that Leaves Miami Daily – for UVF International Airport in St Lucia . Please not Liat cannot be Compared to AA . The SLU Pm is on point . He calls it as he sees it .
I wonder why? The SLU government are capable of adding up 1+1
But they do not have political interference in AA. They are paying for a service. We put in 8 million where is the service. By a stroke of pen from Senior Council on behalf of Skerrit liat puts additional flights into Dominica even if they know it is not viable. So I agree politicians have to much clout in regional institutions they not at all independent. We saw how a certain Caribbean politician prevented a judge from being appointed to the Supreme Court. We have politicians now lobbying against a seating High court judge in Dominica because it is alleged ….is (in) favour of Skerrit Andy I s cabal. We need to purge our systems from political interference and that’s a good start by the Lucian PM.
First, ‘ironical’ is not a word. Second, other airlines, regional or international do not do half the nonsense that LIAT does.
But they will get good service.
I agree with you PM of St. Lucia 100%.
You must not only agree with the PM of St Lucia, but you must ask a very interesting question. Following the CDB financing the new LIAT fleet, CDB undertook to do a study of the overhaul of the regional airline which included LIAT. We should ask the shareholders of LIAT to make the study available to the ultimate shareholders, which are the taxpayers of the countries which have shares in LIAT.
Yeah the gigantic sucking, swooshing sound you’ve been accustomed to is LIAT for fifty plus years! Fire them all and tender the company to be run by and conform to market forces.
Good, agree with you Mr.Chastanet!
Its about time we have people like Allen Chastanet in power, he should have a talk with PM. Skerrit.
T
Gaston Brown behaves as if LIAT belongs solely to Antigua. The SLU PM is absolutely correct. These politician who have never run a lemonade stand should not be so intimately involved in running an airline
Don’t wish too hard. Consider this, St. Lucia can afford not to support LIAT as the island has many alternatives for its citizens and tourists to fly in and out of the country. eg JetBlue, British Airways, American Airlines, Virgin etc etc. Dominica has a fledgling tourist industry and a relatively small population. If as PM Chastanet says “shareholder governments should take their hands off the carrier and allow it to operate on a strictly commercial basis” LIAT would immediately reduce their schedule to Dominica. There simply is not the volume required at present to make operating to Dominica profitable. Airlines exist to make a profit. If a route is not making a positive return it will usual have a reduced schedule or in some cases be axed!
The problem is not only restricted to payload into Dominica or other countries, The present new LIAT planes require between 35 to 40 persons to operate per aircraft. LIAT has 9 to 10 aircraft new planes and therefore the total persons required to operate their fleet is between 350 to 400 persons. LIAT employees over 800 persons of which over 50 % work out of Antigua, Besides this over 60 % of LIAT passenger traffic is from the Barbados and Trinidad and not Antigua. LIAT is grossly over staffed and being headquartered in Antigua is a milking cow to employ Antiguans. There was a plan to reduce staff by 200 and have LIAT main operation moved to Barbados and that has been put on the backburner. Antigua is the main beneficiary of LIAT and they do not need LIAT for their tourism industry, they have an international airport. In the OECS, Dominica and St Vincent depend on LIAT for their Tourism industry. Get the governments off LIAT and let it employ professional operate it as a business.
Then that is not the fault of LIAT. Dominica needs to step up its game.
LIAT needs to operate like it is offering a service, not giving a free ride.
Way to go mr. PM
Admire this man he’s a man of his words. Good for you Mr Prime Minister, let Liat know you are no push around man.
We go hear and see!
he wants to send them go where? he is not a shareholder so all he is doing is blowing steam on the sidelines..put you money where your mouth is..invest then you will have to power to get rid of the board.
How about Chastenet lowering taxes on flights originating in St. Lucia. These taxes are the highest in the Caribbean. He can help LIAT do more business by lowering departure taxes.
Man i wish he was the pm of Dominica
dont wish for what you do not know.
That in itself is insufficient to make him an efficient PM.
We have a man who is willing and ready, up to par and Dominicans pushing around wasting time, the man has all the qualities of a leader but stagnant Dominicans don’t want him there LORD help US!