LIAT under scrutiny again

12.JUNE.09

The Carnival season is with us again. Over the next two months, the people of the Eastern Caribbean will stage five full-fledged sets of Carnival activities, each with their own distinctive characteristics. Beginning with St Vincent and the Grenadines, and going through to St Lucia, Antigua, Barbados and ending with Grenada, it will be soca, calypso, mas, pan and fun throughout the region.{{more}} In addition to their entertainment and cultural value, the staging of such festivals also serves an important economic function; they are a tremendous boost to Caribbean tourism, especially in the traditional off-season, where tourism from the north is concerned.

In particular, these Caribbean Carnivals have given a real fillip to intra-regional tourism as well as helping to promote the return of Caribbean migrants from North America and Europe. It is, therefore, a season when the region is very much on show. Another factor of note is that the July-August period is a traditional holiday period when many young people – pupils, students, young members of all sorts of clubs, youth and community organizations – take advantage of the August vacation to travel to neighbouring territories, adding to the Caribbean melting pot.

Separated as the islands are, by water, and lacking regional sea transport for passengers, the main form of inter-island travel is by air. This is where our sole regional carrier, LIAT, comes in, and the region’s deficiencies in air travel crudely exposed. The LIAT story is a long one which can fill many volumes. Yet, in spite of its many problems, it has persevered and served the Caribbean faithfully, if not always efficiently. The demands to be placed upon it during the upcoming two months are enormous and will test the mettle and resources of airlines, much more resource-endowed than LIAT.

It would, therefore, be in the best interest of all for the management of LIAT to demonstrate that it fully comprehends the magnitude of the situation and the responsibilities that it bears in relation to the region’s people. In recent months, there have been signs, at least where punctuality is concerned, that some effort is being made to improve performance. However, ongoing disputes with pilots have once more brought disarray into its scheduling and caused the airline to be recipient of much criticism, if not abuse. Communication has certainly not been a feature of LIAT’s operations, and it is one area which it needs to rectify if the patience of the long-suffering Caribbean people is not to be worn out completely.

Vincentians have some particular complaints, not about the hard-working local staff, but about the level of service meted out to a country, the government of which continues to shoulder more than its fair share of LIAT’s financial burdens. Even the local staff, cognizant of the level of business generated from this country, are dissatisfied with the treatment both of staff at the local station as well as Vincentian travelers. There are limitations and objective problems to be sure, but the impression given is that LIAT does not really care.

This is as good a time and better than many others for LIAT to take stock and put its house in order, once and for all. Get the little things right, like courtesy to travelers, regular communication especially about delays, improve the level of service and let the customers have value for their money. Regional air travel is costly and we do not have much choice. We demand quality service in return.

LIAT and regional governments must take heed and act accordingly!