Following his highly publicized criticism of regional airline, LIAT’s service to Dominica, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, announced that tourism officials will meet with the company “very soon,” to discuss the level of service rendered to the island.
On Kairi’s ‘The Heng’, on Monday, he expressed his hope that the meeting will take place as early as next week.
At the meeting, suggestions will be made on how LIAT can improve its service to Dominica.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) will be meeting with LIAT very soon to discuss the service which Dominica ought to be receiving,” he stated. “So, I’m hoping hopefully by next week, once the date and times are mutually convenient for both LIAT and the Ministry of Tourism, those discussions will be held, and recommendations made on how LIAT can improve its service to Dominica.”
On April 8, in a strongly worded letter to LIAT’s then-Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Evans, Skerrit said he was utterly disgusted at the shabby manner in which Dominica was being treated by the airline saying it “clearly appears to be an awful, negative attitude towards Dominica by senior personnel at LIAT…” The letter was copied to major shareholders of the airline—the governments of Antigua, Barbuda, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Days later, on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, LIAT said it had accepted the resignation of CEO, David Evans.
Skerrit explained that the letter was not meant to attack the airline, but that he felt it necessary to document concerns, regarding service received in Dominica.
“So, I don’t want to engage LIAT in any public war of words or anything like that,” he articulated. “But, I felt it was necessary for us to document our concerns with regards to the service which we’re receiving, the experiences which we all have been having with LIAT.”
He described LIAT’s service as unbecoming.
“It’s unsatisfactory, it’s unbecoming of any company which offers a service to the public. Our hope is that the matter will be resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both Dominica and LIAT,” he said.
Skerrit stated that he has received a written apology from the airline, regarding the service rendered to Dominica.
Nevertheless, he noted, that there will be a convening of shareholders very soon, where they will be given the opportunity again to express their concerns.
I saw some of the crisis when I visited on a cruise a couple weeks ago. I feel the pain of the PM. And the problem started years ago and will take decades to repair to take Dominica to at least the year 2005. All the group of people who decided to keep Dominica the way Christopher Columbus met it are to blame. And for what. All the other neigboring islands look so much advanced. Maybe the Prime Minister and his team need to open up Dominica in a big way. Be totally independent or strive to be as soon as possible. Dominica has lost its people to the world out there. And that needs to be fixed. The Pm and Liat knows that. I can follow up with things that can be done to take us to 2005 if thumbs down are under 20
Get your own fricking airport for goodness sake I am so embarrassed sometimes of being born from this parental country so backward all bloody jokers running it too.
look at the bloody town where is the tourism aspect with regards to activities and hospitality
there are other countries with less money and they have so much more to offer holiday visitors of course the believe in building up there country and creating jobs for their people not waiting my money on any liar fligjt
I will never use Li…at again
They treat people like vagrants
the government treating Domincans shabby so why shouldn’t liat follow suit?
liat has cut back its flight to Dominica because this incompetent government has not kept its promise to liat to get the airport back to pre Erika state…MR Skerrrit when he met with the former ceo Evans at melvillehall in sep 2015 had given the assurance that the airport would be up and ready by november hence liat cutting to 2 flights and would have increased when airport was back to 100%..work on the ramp has only now started and will hopefully finish in may.. liat schedule should be back to normal from jun 01 if the repair works are completed in time..
so if anyone should be blamed for the lack of flights into Dominica by liat is this labour paka travey government..
There must be some Dominicans on the side of LIAT who are not pleased with some comments about LIAT which are factual. Or are these Dominicans?
Never traveled or never experienced such inconvenience, putting it mildly, from LIAT’s no-show and decreased flights? Or are you a wicked hypocrite who love to go on DNO and give thumbs down to especially sensible comments, those who have nothing else of consequence to do?
You will not prevent the truth from being told. I did not write LIAT. If I did, I would inform LIAT how I feel about its flights’ schedule which have so inconvenienced Dominicans.
Maybe you should do something good for Dominica and you would not have time to give thumbs down to sensible comments. It appears this is a no-good trait of yours which satisfies you. The truth must be told and always will. A mere thumbs down will not prevent it.
It looks like you do not have Dominicans interest at heart. These are the consistent critics who do no good.
LIAT did Dominica a great disservice. It is my feeling if there are few passengers to D/ca, LIAT decided to decrease flights and have passengers overnight and even wait for two or three days in Antigua, Barbados and other countries to get a flight to Dominica. This is why LIAT discontinued paying for overnight hotel costs.
What if some passengers do not know anyone in Antigua whom they could spend this in transit with? They will have to pay hotel and meal costs which includes (I would think) taxi fare from the airport to the hotel and back.
What an experience and a frustrating one for Dominicans.
LIAT! You cannot continue to treat Dominicans in this disgraceful manner! How dared you!
Did LIAT think of the inconvenience to passengers especially Dominicans? I guess not. All LIAT cared about was costs; not passengers. I suppose LIAT has enough money and will always get passengers, therefore the executives care not and about Dominicans. Shame on LIAT!
I could not visualize LIAT continuing with this shoddy service to Dominica of all. It was high time the PM and the tourism officials take a stand, once and for all.
We simply can not offer LIAT enough passengers to make it worth their while to increase services to Dominica. That is a simple business decision. Secondly, Melville Hall airport is still not fully operational following tropical storm Erica and severe restrictions remain with regard to aircraft movements. Both these issues are for our Govt. to resolve and not an airline
The management of LIAT has never thought of their airline as a tourism service provider, never. They think they are just a regional transportation company. Any tourist that happens to book them is gravy, but not who they market or cater to. They have NEVER shown an interest in partnering with tourism industries in the region, other airlines that have done so have profited from the relationship. Until LIAT look at their airline as part of the regional tourism industry they will never change. They are happy to be the airline to transport Caribbean people back and forth for business and pleasure. OUT
Mr P.M.do not negotiate with LIAT from a begging standpoint. Make sure that this upcoming meetin is in DA and have the press present and demand more flights and give us the respect owed us.
This so called meeting will not make any difference. More flights will of course be forthcoming, however that is the norm for the upcoming summer period. After that period look out for the return of the frustration.
Liat cant be blamed for the situation totally, the business climate in Dominica is just NOT vibrant.
Dominica needs its own airline of small 30 passenger jet aircrafts capable of flying direct to the United States or Puerto Rico. The 8 million given to LIAT by the PM could have gone towards reaching that goal or lengthening the runway another 1,000 feet out into the Atlantic by rock fill or toward the east end of the runway by dynamiting. The runway needs to be extended to allow for 757 landings safely.
Chups
“FLORIDIAN DIASPORA” You insists on asking the Government of Dominica to build an international airport, yet you said “the other day you traveled on the only flight coming from Antigua to Dominica, and on that day the plane was half empty”. Well what do you expect going to happen on American Airlines, BWIA, Jet Blue, Air Jamaica, and all the other airlines that would be coming to Dominica? PLANE LOAD of people?
That’s why I also said that they should develop the island in order to attract more tourist which will then increase the air traffic into the island. Didn’t you read that part??? You read what you want to and ignore the rest.
They should not carry the Minister of Tourism? he will screw up things as he is unaware of anything….
this is a fruitless mission!!
Go build your international…vincy came in and fooled u dominicans.
Skerrit, if you received a letter of apology from LIAT haven’t you considered to instruct your press secretary to hold a meeting with the press and media and make this letter public. You see that is how things work in a modern society.
You waste of time tourism officials who have single handedly murdered the tourism industry would be better off leaving Liat alone placing your emphasis elsewhere in the form of building an intentional airport and developing the country to attract more air traffic into Dominica. All you worry with Liat but for years they’ve been showing you guys that they don’t worry with all you. So why budge?? The other day I travelled on the only flight coming from Antigua to Dominica that day and the plane was half empty. It’s true that their service is poor and they have shown disrespect to us but on the other side of things you think that it is profitable to them to land here to dump and pick up only a few heads??? The fact is that people coming to this broke paradise of Skeritt’s and the Labor regime are few and far in-between and you lazy bunch are doing nothing to change that
Well said!