BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – THE report that LIAT has acquired the first ATR 72-600 aircraft as part of a programme to upgrade its fleet is good news for the island-hopping airline. But as the Caribbean air carrier embarks on this project, which is costly but necessary, now is the time for other islands which are not part of the LIAT shareholding, to come on board and strengthen the airline.
LIAT is a carrier which has served the Caribbean with distinction. It continues to provide the necessary airlinks among Caribbean countries. It has also watched new players in the airline business come and go. The fact that it has survived is a test to the fortitude of its management and owners.
The airline has embarked on a policy whereby its existing fleet which is ageing, will be eventually replaced by more modern equipment. This has not been an easy given that LIAT has not been raking in significant levels of profits. However, officials of the airline, including shareholder governments – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines – have stuck to the task of the fleet upgrade. Such undertakings are not cheap. The cost of outfitting the airline with a new fleet of planes is approximately Bds$200 million. Since LIAT is not the type of carrier with deep pockets then there are definitely challenges involved in carrying out a project of that nature.
