Barbados-based Director of Peach and Quiet Ltd, columnist and author, Adrian Loveridge has encouraged LIAT to make better use of its seating capacity by offering affordable deals to customers.
“They operate a lot of flights which were operating with eight, nine, ten people on them… Use revenue capacity to fill those seats. Make those available at a lower price with an ITX fare that a travel agent or a tour operator can package,” he said, on Tuesday, at the first Caribbean Aviation Meetup, held at the Fort Young Hotel.
He advised that the regional airline should liaise with persons in the hospitality industry, in order to customize appealing packages, which would benefit all parties involved.
Loveridge insisted that tourism officials “need to sit down as a collective tourism entity with LIAT, to go through with them—if they’re going to continue to operate, then we’ve got to work with them, because we don’t, at the moment, have too many other choices.”
Meantime, he stated that Dominica may stand to benefit from a deal made between Delta Airlines and Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier, in April 2016, whereby the latter is expected to supply the airline with 75 aircraft from the C-Series (namely the CS100 and CS300), with an option for another 50.
The Bombardier C-Series is a family of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range jet airliners being developed by Canadian Bombardier Aerospace.
The aircraft, expected to be completed next year, will contain high usage of composite materials, and larger windows. The cabin will feature large, rotating overhead storage bins, allowing each passenger more overhead storage space. The C-Series is also to provide a wider aisle, to facilitate faster boarding and disembarkation of passengers.
Loveridge articulated that the planes’ ability to land and take off on a 4,000 runway would be of particular interest to islands like Dominica which have smaller runways.
“The most important thing that may affect many people in this room directly, [is that] it can land and take off on a 4,000 feet runway; and it’s the only plane of its kind that can do that,” he said. “If I understand it correctly, Douglas-Charles Airport has a runway length of 5,700 and a bit.”
He urged Dominican authorities to “seriously look at” enticing at least one Delta flight, in order to fill existing hotels and the new hotels expected to be constructed on the island.
The Caribbean Aviation Meetup’s three-day program includes a wide range of topics, to facilitate discussion on changes for improved airlift in the Caribbean, and its impact on tourism and the economy.
Hopefully members of government are in regular contact with Delta Airlines. Possible future direct flights from the U.S.A to DA at a reasonable price could be the ticket to grow our overnight stays and tourism industry.
LIAT, this is a no-brainer. Cheaper flights = more travellers.
The DELTA aircraft is exciting news indeed. I certainly look forward to more news on this development.
I think DA should focus on getting a longer runaway at this point.
This is very exciting news and could be a real solution for our tourism people.
This is wise advice. Hope LIAT takes this into consideration and implement it. Some people state, these days it is too expensive to travel.
There are times some business enterprises feel if they increase costs they will benefit. This does not always happen. People fish around for reasonable costs, especially in this era. It is to LIAT’s advantage to offer less expensive tickets. Watch passenger increases.
LIAT should also decrease head tax and fees; and in any Caribbean country for that matter.
With Delta airlines, Dominicans and other visitors may not have to overnight in Antigua or Barbados. Hope so.
May this come to fruition for especially Dominicans and as soon as possible.
Liat price is not an issue I came from the us to Barbados had a straight flight to da instead liat went to Antigua first and then da we don’t need that to much Antigua for da ppl we don’t need that
Do not worry our airport is on its way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4KuZPoN5E4
Interesting, he only talks about donations and loans to finance an airport. Based on that I have to ask the question of the whereabouts of the passport money. I estimate the revenue at a minimum of 400 million EC$ which would have covered in the region of 50% of the cost. Skerrit, my question again – where is our passport money???
hope they listen… delta airlines much better than american airlines
Why dont the respective caribbean governments reduce the taxes and fees they charge on Liat fares, which account for nearly half the cost of the airline ticket?
My thought exactly. The price of the fare itself is actually quite reasonable in my opinion. It is the taxes etc to blame.
@cc you are so right! The taxes for the most part are what is really bringing the rates up! I remember when the fares were lower, lots of people would fly to nearby islands for the weekend.. Liat can re-introduce attractive weekend packages!
Agreed, Barbados is one of the worst offenders in this category. His point is valid though. With the high prices you see close to the date of flights one would think that the flights we full only to board and discover otherwise.
i know. and taxes that they waste on nonsense anyway