Caricom, Guyana discuss plans for new regional airline carrier

FORMER CHAIRMAN of Liat, prime minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has spoken about plans for the establishment of a new regional air carrier.

Speaking at a press conference at the close of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government summit in Suriname on Tuesday, July 5 Dr Gonsalves revealed that discussions are taking place between Caricom and Guyana, in this regard.

“A discussion has taken place between the prime ministers of Antigua/ Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Guyana,” he stated.

Gonsalves added that prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica is also involved in the plans but was absent from the recent discussions.

“We have taken a decision… we are going to address the issue of a regional air carrier of some kind.

“It may well be a revival of Liat, in some form or the other,” Gonsalves said at the news conference in Suriname.

He said what is needed now is a consultant in the area of aviation “to put a framework together and some numbers, as a matter of urgency for us to move on.”

Gonsalves added that he has been given the responsibility to coordinate certain things, and to get that going, “and then to get the terms of reference for such an exercise, and then to have a further conversation at the leadership level.”

This further conversation is scheduled to be held sometime between July 20 and the end of this month.

The SVG prime minister further said that the Caricom leaders also discussed the issue of a fast ferry.

He noted that there are two proposals, one from Trinidad and Tobago, and one with Barbados and Guyana and other countries, in relation to fast ferry transport, and in relation to the movement of goods with traditional ferries.

According to Gonsalves, both initiatives were discussed and “ a mechanism has been put in place to work out these arrangements, and to see how we can advance either of these initiatives, or to blend them together.”

He said that both proposals look “promising.”

The 43rd Regular Meeting of the Caricom Heads of Government was held in Suriname from July 3-5, and chaired by the president of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi.