Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have agreed on a new modern Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) that will allow for a new framework within which air transportation will operate in the region, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has said.
He told the news conference marking the end of the 43rd CARICOM Summit, that countries, particularly those in the Eastern Caribbean, and even Trinidad and Tobago being severely affected by the loss of thousands of seats “because LIAT as it was is no longer before us.
“We have lost thousands of seats because LIAT as it was is no longer before us, you didn’t realize it while COVID was on but after COVID has receded somewhat and people are traveling again we see the problems so a discussion has taken place between the Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Guyana.”
Gonsalves said that given St Kitts-Nevis is in “an election cycle” and was not represented at the summit a decision was made between the countries mentioned to address the issue of regional travel, which may result in a revival of LIAT in some form.
“We have taken a decision between those countries on the margins that we are going to address the issue of a regional air carrier of some kind may well be the revival of LIAT in some form or the other. We have to get the consultant in the area of aviation to put the framework together and some numbers as a matter of urgency for us to move on and sometime that is taken place, I’ve been given a certain responsibility to coordinate certain things to get that going.”
