LIAT board to meet tomorrow, following resignation of CEO
The Board of Directors of regional airline LIAT is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the way forward, following the resignation of chief executive officer Ian Brunton.{{more}}
Chairman of LIAT shareholders, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves, confirmed to SEARCHILGHT yesterday that Brunton has submitted his resignation from the regional airline.
Gonsalves said he had not yet spoken with Brunton, but that St Vincent and the Grenadines’ director on the LIAT board, Isaac Solomon, had informed him that Brunton had given the three months notice specified by his contract.
The chairman of shareholders said as far as he was aware, no reason for the resignation had been given by Brunton. SEARCHLIGHT, however, understands Brunton’s letter of resignation was received on September 11, two days after the last meeting of the board of directors.
Over the past three months, LIAT has been plagued by flight delays and cancellations, which Brunton had said were caused by a combination of factors, including an increase in unscheduled maintenance, crew shortages, bad weather, airport limitations and delays in obtaining licenses for operating their new ATR aircraft in some territories.
Brunton has been leading a US $100 million re-fleeting process, from ageing Dash-8 aircraft to ATRâs, which is designed to help move the airline back into profit by lowering maintenance and fuel costs.
The company received the fourth of 12 new ATR 600 series aircraft on Sunday. The exercise is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
Brunton, a former chief executive of Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL), was appointed CEO of LIAT on August 1, 2012.
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