Dominica and the three other shareholder governments of LIAT have taken a collective decision to liquidate the airline, following what has been described as a fruitful virtual meeting.
The prime ministers of Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines, planned the meeting to agree on a revamped LIAT (1974) or create a new airline.
“Commitments were given in support of a new, efficient, and expanded LIAT 2020 instead, which heads believe will satisfy the immediate regional travel demand,” Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.
He told reporters in St Johns that participants also agreed to engage the services of an aviation consultancy firm – as had been previously touted – to develop a long-term plan to ensure the sustainability of LIAT and the provision of affordable air transportation. Reports are that a consultant has already been appointed.
Browne said further that the shareholder governments also agreed that LIAT is considered a public and social good that contributes significantly to regional connectivity and makes a net positive economic contribution to Caribbean economies.
“This will necessitate a reduction in regional travel taxes to reduce the costs of operations for airlines in the region,”, according to Browne.
Meanwhile, the vexing issue of the millions in severance pay owed to former LIAT workers was reportedly not on the agenda.
The workers, through their unions, have been agitating for the monies owed to them after the airline took a nosedive during the Coronavirus pandemic
The twin island nation has made a compassionate payment offer to ex-workers, St Vincent and the Grenadines have not yet said whether they would help ease the burdens of these workers. Barbados has not said much either
Legally, these governments are not obligated to pay the severance.
Meanwhile plans to establish “LIAT 2020” as the solution to regional travel woes continue to attract support, which is especially vital after the decision this week to liquidate the long-suffering “LIAT 1974 Ltd”.
Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, said that his government is already assessing the possibility of reintroducing LIAT – through its new operations – as the country’s main bridge to the rest of the region.
Several countries in the sub region, including St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia, have been voicing their frustrations with the lack of adequate air transport, and the prohibitive cost of travel as a result.
According to Mitchell, where his country is concerned, these are even more reasons to look into LIAT and other solutions.
They should do away with prop planes and acquire jets to make non stop flights direct to Florida from Dominica in three hours instead of going through conniptions. Other islands too. No reason not to jets can already land on Dominica. AA has proven that.
I hereby authorize the name “LIAT” be Removed completely , and Vote on a new name.
Let’s face it folks, LIAT employees were not government workers despite the fact the shareholders were the government of the respective islands. As such, the governments do not owe these employees a dime.
Having said that, they could extend some assistance to these employees, but these former LIAT pilots and the rest cannot expect assistance on the basis of their pay and years of service as if they were terminated by the governments. They need to be thankful for anything they get.
When you work in the private sector, these are the chances you take. You get better pay, but there is always the risk your employer might go bankrupt. Ordinary people take that risk every day. LIAT employees are no exception.
My friend; these people did work for the governments of Barbados, Dominica, and St. Vincent; which ever government owns LIAT you know!
True they probably could not be called civil servants; nevertheless they could be counted as unclassified government workers, similar to Public Work Department workers in the colonial days.
I don’t know their classification in Dominica these days since independence.
About time that these clueless governments especially the husband of Molly the Boowick realize that they were feeding a dead swine with an insatiable appetite for cash. It finally appears that commonsense prevailed and the bullet will be put to this long suffereing beast called LIAT 174 Ltd. Hopefully those greedies in caribbean governments will not use the new airline like its their cabooway for friends, family, concubines and corbosses. I now breathe a sign of relief ….Good riddance LIAT 1974 Ltd!!!
The process of liquidating a business simply means the business, or company as in the case of LIAT has collapse due to a lack of money to operate; LIAT is now going into bankruptcy, insolvency, it means close-down permanently!
“planned the meeting to agree on a revamped LIAT (1974) or create a new airline.”
What kind of new and improved form of structure, or appearance, can these three governments give to LIAT that will cause it to be able to function in a profitable way?
Creating a new Airline will not change the status quo; because the proposed new airline routs will be the same, there shall be no financial profits; it is going to be a waste of time.
Dominica is the the obstacle without an International Airport; Roosevelt Skerrit is the obstacle; so his friend Mia, and Gonzales who made a fool out of Roosevelt is trying to help him to keep LIAT in circulation, but a mouse by any other identification or name remains the same!
Three blind mice see how they run
Liquidating LIAT and not compensating its former employees is the exemplification of cruelty.
All those heads of government who have chosen to deprive these hapless workers of their rightful entitlement should don’t deserve our confidence, respect and trust. We have to be our brother’s keeper. Today it’s me, tomorrow it may just be you.
I presume there will not even be bones left to pick over once LIAT 1974 has officially been liquidated, only debt, with the ex employees joining a list of creditors, who can only whistle after their money. Yet at the same time we are told that LIAT is considered a social and public good. Are you serious mr. Browne? Be honest, the airline was already in financial difficulties well before the pandemic.
Again, they are trying to fool all you. Social and public good, my foot!
What an almighty mess! And $8Million down the drain courtesy of yours truly. You see, between the 3 clowns they can’t get a grip of a company like that. What chance do the citizens of their respective islands stand. I’m waiting for some GOOD answers in particular from Labour supporters. Skerrit, you outstayed your welcome by at least 18 years!!!
That’s one of my biggest problems with this administration apart from the corruption and the incompetence. Their high-end handed, top down, exclusionary approach to crucial decisions.
It is as if they threw $8M into the sea when they coughed it up to ‘save’ LIAT. But, the hungry citizens are still hankering for their stimulus package as life in Dominica is insufferable.
We have n ignoramus piloting the ship of state. The outcome can’t be good.
Take a very serious look at these countries in the sub-Caribbean. All, without exception, their economies are crumbling; public debt is humongous, unemployment unacceptably high, healthcare unsatisfactory. The point is that they don’t manage any thing well. This is a statement of fact.
To put back these same governments to be in control of a new LIAT is nothing but courting financial and economic disaster.
A new Caribbean airline, with special incentives from all the Caribbean countries that it will serve, managed by regional public-private sector partnership, might just be a better alternative.
If you give these governments a desert to manage, in less than five (5) years, it will be depleted of sand. They mismanage everything.
The headline says Liat shareholders agrees….
Per the subject-verb agreement rule, it should be shareholders agree. Thanks
ADMIN: Thank you for pointing that out. We did miss that initially and have since had it corrected.
So LIAT has been killed. It is an extremely sad day for its employees and its customers.
Decried as a fruitful meeting? Editor…please
ADMIN: Thank you for pointing that out. While the tendency on the internet is to receive constant hate-filled and biased criticism we do appreciate the valid feedback and will continue to own up to our genuine errors.