CDB assists Regional air transport initiative

The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), has approved a Technical Assistance Grant for an interim intervention in the air transportation woes affecting the Eastern Caribbean, since the collapse of LIAT.

A release from the bank says that it will finance consultancy services, which will devise urgent provisional measures to re-establish regular air transport services within the sub-region.
In a subsequent intervention, the Caribbean Development Bank hopes to consider a more permanent option to the problem facing travellers within the sub-region.

This support from the bank comes as a result of a request from the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

These governments requested assistance to examine and address airlift capacity challenges.

According to the CDB release,” the consultancy will develop interim solutions to alleviate the current capacity deficit, and define immediate actions required of participating governments, to ensure that regular inter-island air service can be restored with dispatch.”

The consultant will also be required to provide project management services to support the implementation of the agreed solutions.

CDB’s Vice President Operations, Isaac Solomon said “The intra-regional movement of people and goods and services is integral to regional cooperation and integration, and the CDB has therefore placed high priority on supporting the provision of dependable and cost effective air transportation within the region.”

The technical assistance grant was approved by the CDB Board at a meeting which was held on Friday December 9.