Bridgetown, Barbados – May 20, 2007
By Rickey Singh
Do not expect the principal shareholder governments of LIAT to back any move to have American Eagle flying inter-island routes in competition with the regional island-hopping carrier.
That was the firm warning on Friday from St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, current chairman of Caricom who has lead responsibility for regional air transport and civil aviation matters among the Community’s Heads of Government.
Gonsalves, just back from Cuba where he was undergoing medical treatment following a traffic accident at home, said that the recently announced move by St Lucia to introduce American Eagle, perhaps by July, to fly between that country and Barbados, and possibly later to Trinidad and Tobago, came as “quite a big surprise and disappointment” to him.
He said there was no consultation on this matter by the St Lucia government, which is a minority shareholder in LIAT and has had representation on the airline’s Board of Directors.
The announcement came recently from St Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Allen Chastanet, without details on how the arrangement would work to the advantage of regional air travellers.
NOAA: 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook
May 22, 2007 NOAA’s 2007 Atlantic hurricane season outlook indicates a very high 75% chance of an above-normal hurricane season, a 20% chance of a near-normal season, and only a 5% chance of a below-normal season. This outlook is produced …