ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – The aviation industry in the English-speaking Caribbean has always been one that meddling West Indian politicians find irresistible. Our leaders seem to stumble over each other in their eagerness to be identified with what is generally regarded as a glamourous business. It matters not that our politicians are clueless about the business of running a profitable airline. This is particularly unfortunate when one considers that even professional airline managers find the industry a difficult one. Few of the world’s airlines are consistently profitable, and those that are, have similar business plans which they rigorously stick to. They are also all run as private businesses, even when government-owned.
