Grenadine Air Alliance offers alternative service to LIAT

Persons hoping to make reliable travel arrangements from St Vincent and the Grenadines to neighbouring St Lucia, Grenada or Barbados have another airline on which they can depend.

The alternative is known as Grenadine Air Alliance and speaks of a collaboration between SVG Air, Mustique Airways and a Barbadian company known as Trans Island Air (TIA).{{more}}

According to managing director at SVG Air Paul Gravel, Grenadines Air Alliance operates 17 aircraft, two jets, three six-seater planes, three nine-seaters and six 19-seater planes and is hoping to obtain an additional three planes soon.

The company is focussed on servicing the Grenadines and neighbouring St Lucia, Grenada and Barbados. Charters are also available to almost anywhere in the Caribbean and North and South America.

Speaking to the SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, Gravel said that initially the service that was provided by the airlines with which he is involved, were aimed at carrying tourists and persons who work in the Grenadines to their various off mainland jobs and destinations.

“So, basically, our operations were twofold, help Vincentians get to work in the Grenadines and bring the rich and famous that spend big money from Barbados, St Lucia and Grenada into the Grenadines, but we now have another focus, and persons are coming to us because of the unsatisfactory operations of LIAT,” explained Gravel.

He revealed that during the summer vacation, a number of persons used the airline to get to and from St Vincent because of the intermittent service being provided by LIAT.

“About two years now, LIAT moved from operating 17 aircraft to eight. They can’t properly service the market, so Grenadines Airlines was formed and we assure you that with us you will never miss a connection to your international flight, you will never have to wait in long lines for immigration or to collect your bags, as we do all that for our passengers,” said Gravel.

Using the airline industry term VFR or visiting friends and relatives, Gravel said that VFR are quickly learning about the service and in some instances are choosing them over LIAT.

“The difference between us is that we meet you when you come off the plane, we take your bags and send you to the gate. You don’t have to go to customs and fight with immigration; we get you through faster than anyone else. When LIAT has a lot of people in line, with us, they don’t have to line up. Our process makes you really relaxed,” explained the managing director, who noted that one of their flights from St Lucia takes 20 minutes to ET Joshua and 15 minutes to the Grenadines.

He also revealed that going forward, they are hoping to add more planes and flights to their destinations, while at present they have daily flights to the Grenadines and neighbouring Grenada. The service will be further upgraded on November 15. For information, one can call 1784 457 5124 or 1784 458 4380.

“We service every island in the Grenadines and we are keeping prices low. We promise you that you will always get your luggage, you don’t miss connections. We have a stellar record of people making their connections,” stressed Gravel.

He noted also that another advantage is that their planes are based here, so problems are addressed here, unlike LIAT, which is based in Antigua and creates a big disadvantage to Vincentians and persons coming here.

“There are not enough seats in the market, because the market is offering 50 per cent less seats and LIAT tries to please everybody and that is not possible, so we are here to pick up the slack. If people try to come to St Vincent and the Grenadines and there are no seats, they will go somewhere else and that is bad for the economy, so until the Argyle International Airport opens and brings other airlines, we are here and we are not interested in competing with LIAT, but picking up the slack.

“The big difference with us is that we have a personalized service; we spoil our customers; you are not just another name or just another customer, we take care of you.

“People now are flying with us because of lack of seats on LIAT and we are adding flights to accommodate persons, but I want to make it clear that we are not here to compete with LIAT, we are not going to compete, but we are complimenting the service being provided by LIAT,” explained Gravel, who noted that LIAT is owned by a number of Governments, so competing with LIAT is not a good idea, as anything that goes financially wrong with LIAT can affect countries and taxpayers.

The added flights being provided by the Grenadine Air Alliance is a breath of fresh air to persons looking to travel to and from St Vincent and the Grenadines, as LIAT’s service to this island has grown noticeably worse over the past few months.

As recently as last week, scores of passengers were left stranded at the ET Joshua Airport and in one instance, travellers revealed that their flight was grounded because of a cockroach infestation on one of the LIAT planes. Also, since summer, a number of LIAT passengers missed connecting flights because of delays.

The ongoing scheduling problems and cancellations facing the Vincentian travelling public were raised by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on February 25, 2016, in a letter addressed to the chief executive officer LIAT, David Evans, against the backdrop of a February 17, 2016 letter from LIAT, requesting a further advance of XCD$810,000 by St Vincent and the Grenadines. In responding to the letter, Prime Minister Gonsalves explained that, among other things, SVG was not well served by the current schedule of the airline.

On Tuesday, September 6, a release from the Prime Minister’s Office said that the lack of adequate service and poor scheduling to SVG were again raised with LIAT in a conversation between the Prime Minister and top LIAT officials on Friday, September 2.

In response to the various problems, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Godfred Pompey called for an urgent meeting between the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and the management of regional airline LIAT. That meeting took place last Wednesday, September 14.

The details of Wednesday’s meeting will soon be released to the general public.