Trinidad Express: LIAT is set to return to Trinidad and Tobago’s skies on December 19.
But while the name may evoke memories of the airline that once served Trinidad and Tobago, this is a completely new entity, determined to leave the troubles of the past behind and focus on delivering a more reliable future.
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In January, LIAT (1974) Ltd went bankrupt and stopped flying after entering administration in 2020.
A new airline with a familiar name, LIAT (2020), was eventually formed as a result of a joint venture between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and Air Peace Caribbean Ltd (APCL).
In an interview with Sunday Express Business on December 5 at Radisson Hotel Trinidad, Port of Spain, LIAT20’s head of commercial Elena Dyer explained that LIAT20 is a completely separate entity with the maintained LIAT name.
Asked why they opted to keep the name, Dyer said, “When we opted for this new company, what we realised is that we adopted the good and the bad just through association. Everyone is so happy that there is a LIAT back but we have to sing the song over and over again, ‘New LIAT, new and different LIAT’.”
She said she plans to deal with the negativity by standing firm and continuing to define LIAT20 as a family-centric, safe, secure, and timely airline.
Sonya John, head of Ground Operations, stated that frequent meetings with the countries where LIAT20 aims to operate, coupled with the constant need to redefine the airline’s identity, has posed a significant challenge for both her and the new entity.
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“I had to meet with all the authorities across the region, so in the beginning, it was ten of them and 50% of what was discussed was the legacy of the former carrier. Before I could get to the work of getting LIAT20. Another complication was that I actually was part of LIAT74, so those meetings took a long time,” said John.
John said once she asked them to forget the name and listen to her proposal, they were easily convinced and agreed to work with her once more. She added that the LIAT name remained because of Antigua and Bermuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s passionate support for regional travel.
“Part of his mission was to ensure that we have a vibrant connector for the region, because whilst in Trinidad you have many carriers supporting travel outside of Trinidad, and you don’t see the issues in the eastern and northern Caribbean, from an Antiguan perspective, we don’t get the same service,” she said.
John also highlighted that, aside from the differences in service levels between T&T and the eastern and northern Caribbean, the two countries have vastly different populations, with Trinidad and Tobago’s population reaching 1.5 million, compared to Antigua and Barbuda’s fewer than 95,000 people.
“We do not have enough people to drive the market. We have to be extremely strategic in trying to figure out ways to bring people and take them back out,” said John.
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The newly formed LIAT20 made its inaugural flight to St Lucia in August, signalling the return to the skies of the inter-regional airline.
Meanwhile, Dyer acknowledges that LIAT (2020), currently serving nine routes in its first four months of operation, will face competition from larger, international carriers.
However, she said the airline’s strategy, focused on connectivity and competitive pricing, could help distinguish it in the market.
The nine routes are Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Martin, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana and T&T.
“We didn’t inherit anything from the old entity, so John and her team have to go back to every territory and apply for a permit,” Dyer added.
She said she is excited about curating that network and said, “Our main thing is connectivity, being able to say that we can get you from point A to point B on the same day, right? What has been happening within the region is the same-day arrival. We want to be able to connect north to south.”
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Dyer explained that there are several key reasons for wanting to improve connectivity between Caribbean islands and tap into the South American market, including opportunities for medical tourism, boosting general tourism, and facilitating the easier movement of skilled workers and students across the identified regions.
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