The government of Antigua and Barbuda is carefully considering Sir Richard Branson’s proposal of a $7m investment in the Caribbean airline LIAT, according to aviation news website, Simple Flying. The Virgin Atlantic boss is thought to be keen to save the 63-year-old carrier from collapse. Branson is also rumoured to expect LIAT to become a profitable enterprise.
Caribbean carrier LIAT employs 667 employees. It is jointly owned by seven Caribbean governments. The governments of Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica are major shareholders.
The remainder of the company is owned by other Caribbean governments, private shareholders and employees.
That Virgin Atlantic invests in LIAT is said to have been talked about during Branson’s meeting with officials last week (w/c 29/04/19).
Infamous Texan billionaire Allen Sandford boldly ventured into regional air transportation during his heydays. What became of it?
Branson should just buy the entire airline fire every body and start the airline from scratch under new management. Or he should just start a completely new Caribbean airline using small jets.
I am all for a process improvement initiative and a LIAT rescue plan which would ensure continuing air service and viable employment for the airline’s 667 employees. I am also a very practical person and know that LIAT has been floundering for decades, even after being given multiple lifelines over the years.
Absent of another available carrier providing reliable inter-island air service, it appears that Mr. Branson’s 7 million dollar infusion proposal may not be such a bad idea. I just hope that the outcome will be productive and will not turn out to be a case of “casting pearls before swine”.
LIAT is here to facilitate intraregional travel; free movement. I fear that privatization will not help, private organizations do not care about the goals or plans of CARICOM or OECS or any other regional organizational bodies. Their only desire is their pocket and profit so I am wondering how will this turn out on the people’s pocket. However, some of the current shareholders who are supposed to facilitating this free movement (ease and cost-effective) are doing the complete opposite. So hey, I say Make the move Branson. What’s the difference? At least as a private entity, they will take all necessary steps that will ensure a booming business and maybe just maybe customers have to decent service that they can go back to.
If he does please get rid of most of the lazy employees in ANTIGUA,THEY HAVE BEEN KILLING LIAT,COMPLETE OVERHAUL PLEASE.
one they need to let go 90% of the workers if this air line to go any where Dominica put million few years ago
Richard Bronson is a successful billionaire and Virgin Atlantic, a successful airline. An investment in LIAT by Richard Bronson will definitely keep LIAT operational and most of its staff employed.
Some of the good management practices and management models used by Virgin Atlantic in its day to day operations could be implemented in a new LIAT structure to make that airline become not only sustainable but resilient.
I believe the shareholder governments and other shareholders and stakeholders of the region airline LIAT should embrace this opportunity as there are more benefits to be derived from this new partnership if it happens
The government of Antigua makes decisions about LIAT that is of net benefit to the island. LIAT is only a secondary consideration as far as that government is concerned. That being the case, they should be the sole shareholder in the airline and they can run it as an arm of the government and subsidize it as much as they want. The burden should not fall on the backs of the other islands.
A business can never be successful if decisions are made with political overtones. Business decision have to be made in the best interest of the business. I don’t see that in the case of LIAT.
As a Dominican, I would advise our government to step aside and let another airline step in to fill the void. LIAT in its present iteration cannot be saved in the long run.
As far as Branson is concerned, he will never put his money into this bottomless pit unless he takes control of the airline. Which smart businessman would do something so stupid?
In any event Antigua does not have much use for LIAT okay!
The truth is Dominica is the sole dependent on LIAT: Prior to St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, acquiring International Airports Antigua was the main “HUB” for people traveling from the islands mentioned, and St. Kitts to the United, Canada, and Europe!
There are direct flights from St. Kitts to North America, and I believe Europe too even if it is one flight per week in and out of the islands mentioned; the traveling public from those islands no longer depends on LIAT to take them to Antigua for an International connecting flight!
And even if the region may still need some commuter Aircraft services LIAT is not the alternative; as long as government own LIAT the status quo will be forever the same.
I forgot to tell you, the reason Gonzales suggest selling the few Aircraft’s LIAT own, he knows once they are sold, that would be the end of LIAT!
We heard that lie before; it is not going to happen!