LIAT’s three major shareholder governments have said the airline’s very survival is at risk due to the economic environment, escalating fuel and other prices, and its “restive” industrial climate.
The assessment by Prime Ministers Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados’ Freundel Stuart, and Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda came as the airline celebrates 55 years of operations.
The trio said the Antigua-based airline must embrace change to adapt to increased competition in the aviation industry.
Liat must have some really bad management. Here is no way, with the prices they charge and the monopoly they have enjoyed for the past fifty five years, that they should be going into bankruptcy. This is down to really bad management and greed. And to be honest, it shows in there service. And I am not talking abou late flight, late flights I can deal with if the customer service is at an acceptable level. But they never even tried to manage their customer service much less their profits
Translation of the article: “We need to increase ticket prices”. LIAT is hopeless and poor decision making has led to their down fall.
thats good for they ass what you do we caribbean people come’s right back to u all thank god for redjet i hope they take over liat an give us cheaper flights caribbean airlines u all next
DNO allows certain people to use any type of language they want.Somebody else would get their comment edited. I believe in equal treatment to all.Thank You!!!
Yes but, can Red Jet land in Dominica. The other Caribbean Islands have alternatives because they have the airport to support other alternatives. So think about your comment.
Maybe part of the problem with LIAT is the extra debt they incurred when they when merged with Caribbean Star.
Every time Liat sees another carrier trying to come in the market they are crying. They sent home the poor little staff at the bottom and said it was saving cost, that was the correct way to go according to them, thought now they were on top of things. Let liat pay for its sins for treating its staff and public so badly, almost wanted to send their staff home without compensating. If after 55years they are still crying about losing money, definitely it is bad management, too many big salaries to the top management who just sit whole day doing nothing, best they declare bankruptcy and let another airline come in.
For years the people of the Lesser Antilles have been suffering and complaining about the quality of service viz a viz the price that LIAT was charging them and LIAT was not listening because they had a monopoly with air travel within the Lesser Antilles. Now that there is liberalization of air travel and they are facing competition from other airlines more so REDJET they are talking about survival. Air travelers within the Lesser Antilles need a relief from the high air fares that LIAT is requesting and apparently REDJET is making that possible. I remember when Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun were flying, the prices were lower than LIAT but I thought that those low prices would remain after the Airlines were passed on to LIAT but they weren’t. Nature Islands express was also cheaper than LIAT and I suppose they couldn’t be happier when Nature Island Express stopped operations.
I think REDJET is a wake up call to LIAT.
Do you have any idea how much money Carib Star was losing with those airfare? Why do you think they went out of business?
LIAT’s business model is such that it must either charge high fares to stay in business or the governments must provide heavy subsidies to the airline.
How much subsidy do the other governments give to LIAT besides SVG, AGA and B’dos?
LIAT can do more with what they have, but they would have to completely restructure the airline by firing everybody and starting a new low cost airline, slashing salaries and reducing staff and giving little benefits to the employees they rehire.
With the existing business model we are stuck with what we have.
For once I COMPLETELY agree with Mouth of the South. Upper management has past their prime. I’ve said it on here awhile back, LIAT needs to restructure from the top down litterly.
It’s time for Redjet to increase the ante. Go Redjet!!
i dont’ know why liat dosnt just close down and leave all of you that complaining out in the cold with no other airline to service dominica..close down and add to the umemployment list some 33 workers still left in dominica.that saying is so true you only miss the water when the well runs dry.i have to hear all of you crying when there will be no more liat.
Dominican are like crabs. They only appreciate what they had when the lose it.
yea. Now alone they missin UWP and tax-free corruption -free dominica. now they seein corruption. Shame shame shame. SMH
When one door is closed many more are and will open. Time for LIAT go period.
If Liat close down there will be someone in there place in no time. There are people willing to but liat is in the way with all the politics they have behind then. You see who are the main stake holders politians and government.
Liat closing down would be the best thing for air transport in the Caribbean.
LIAT has been giving us lackloustered serive for decades. It is time we boycot them .NO MORE HIGH AIRLINE PRICES.
think liat needs to restructure its admin throughout the network.
Get rid of managers who arent proffessional, bring in ground handlers at all traffic levels like whats done in Antigua,Barbados etc…
why have excessive regional managers and still have stations managers..just do like AA have lead agents…
the system liat has is internet based so it will be lesser man power and overhead cost..
liat needs to go fully tech and less staffers..will surely ease they costing…
Why don’t they just allow LIAT to die a peaceful death through bankruptcy? We keep pouring money into this failed business enterprise. When are our leaders going to realize that LIAT has way too much debt and its time wrap it up. LIAT has been in largony (on its last breath) for far too long. Hell, that may just give us the opportunity to start a new airline with less debt and better employee contracts based on current business environment. PLEASE LET LIAT DIE IN PEACE PLEASE!!
Who are the “we” that pouring money into LIAT?
Unless you are an Antiguan, Vincie or Bajan, there is no “we” here. If you fly LIAT, you got a trip for your money. You have no further liability or obligation to the company.
liat needs another rival. until then we can’t let it die a peaceful insolvency; because there would be little too no airlines going in and out of Dominica, ‘simpletons’ — Dominica, like the rest out the Caribbean, would get poorer if such an event would befall.
This whole story is just saying in a nutshell, “increase in fees, increase in cost, and pay more for same service”. It’s unfortunate that YOU Liat got the message so late. For years; we have been crying, and you never listened, now competition up our “A3@$” and fuel price up, what else can you do.
As the saying goes, “IN THE WORLD OF THE BLIND THE ONE EYE MAN IS KING”, well now we got our other eyes so there is no king, we are all on the same level playing field.
one simple strategy…. decrease the travel cost…. people still patronize liat regardless of the high cost… so imagine if it was less costly… after cutting down so many jobs etc… well the problem is in the caribbean… we punish the small guys who salaries don’t really affect the bzness and fail to realise that it’s the ‘big’ men who needs to go.. and reduce salaries.. then u’ll see those left in top positions do their utmost best to keep it afloat
REDJET HAVE THEM THINKING HARD