The shareholder Prime Ministers of the regional airline LIAT – Freundel Stuart of Barbados, Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda and Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines – met in Barbados yesterday to discuss renewing the carrier’s ageing fleet.
Up to late yesterday no official statement had been issued on the meeting, held at Hilton Barbados.
At their last meeting, in St Vincent on February 2, Gonsalves said that they had briefly discussed fleet planning and expansion and would continue the talks in Barbados.
“This discussion started some time ago and we had a pretty full discussion on this in January last year when Prime Minister (David) Thompson was with us,” a CMC?report quoted him as saying.
“He made an important contribution to LIAT and we have to recognise that and acknowledge it,” said Gonsalves, who is the Chairman of the shareholders group.
“We have carried the discussion a little further now, where we have had some more detailed information and analysis and presentation and which we still have to subject to further analysis as to how we are going to expand the fleet.”
Gonsalves added: “While others may wish to come into our space, it is not beyond LIAT for LIAT to also go further regionally and to Miami and even to New York with a particular type of aircraft and to do it in a manner which is facilitating of travel and including tourism.” (CMC)