Barbadians clamouring for low fares to and from the United States have been told to hold on.
The appeal came yesterday from Minister of International Business and International Transport George Hutson.
Launching the International Civil Aviation Week of activities, Hutson said Barbadians here and in Florida were “anxious to have the low-cost carrier” Airone flying.
However, he added: “We can’t be rash with these things. We have to take the time to go through the procedure and make sure that all the Ts are crossed and the Is dotted and so on.
“We want to maintain the Barbados reputation for having a safe and sound civil aviation environment . . . So we don’t want to rush into any situation that creates problems down the line.”
Airone Ventures Limited (AVL), a start-up airline which three years ago sought a home in Jamaica, is looking to begin low-cost flights from Barbados shortly.
AVL said it would be positioning itself as the first Caribbean low-cost carrier, flying to the United States and Caribbean destinations.
However, it needs to get the go-ahead from the local authorities and Hutson said the way was not yet clear for the airline to fly.
“The Department of Civil Aviation is working assiduously to try to get that corporation up and running as soon as is humanly possible but there are things that the corporation needs to put in place. There are things that the Civil Aviation Department needs to do as well.
“I know that we are all anxious, including myself, to get the low-cost airline up and running. I was in Florida a couple of weekends ago, and the Barbadians in central Florida are anxious to have the low-cost carrier flying.”
During the media briefing at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), Hutson also addressed the issue of jet bridges for the GAIA.
When it was in Opposition, the Democratic Labour Party had listed the absence of jet bridges, which connect aircraft to the terminals and prevent passengers from being exposed to the elements, as one of the flaws in the airport’s design.
However, Hutson said that creating jet bridges was not a top priority for Government, which, in a tight fiscal environment, was concerned with what impact such spending could have on improving its revenues from the airport. (TY)
