Caribbean Airlines to Become St Lucia’s National Carrier

St Lucia is moving to have Caribbean Airlines (CAL) as its national carrier, Prime Minister of that country Allen Chastanet has said.

Speaking at a news conference on St Lucia state-owned National Television Network (NTN) on Monday night, Chastanet said that having CAL serve as the national carrier may be the best option for the island given the many issues facing air transport in the region, CMC reported yesterday.

“This means that Caribbean Airlines would now be able to fly between St Lucia and Barbados and Trinidad and even go to Puerto Rico and other places,” he told reporters.

The former tourism minister, a critic of Antigua-based regional airline LIAT, reiterated earlier statements that the airline, whose major shareholders are the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, cannot solve all of the transportation needs of the region, the CMC report said.

He said Castries would not provide any financial assistance to the cash-strapped airline until it is restructured.

Chastanet was also critical of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA), saying that it has been reluctant to allow other airlines to operate within the sub-region according to CMC.

“I am convinced that ECCAA cannot be fixed,” Chastanet told television viewers, adding that he would like to move St Lucia from the Antigua-based ECCAA that was established in 2003.

Responding yesterday, head, corporate communications at CAL Dionne Ligoure said: “Caribbean Airlines currently offers daily service to St Lucia. We welcome the sentiments expressed by the Honorable Prime Minister of St Lucia. Last weekend, Caribbean Airlines emerged as the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Airline’ at the 23rd annual World Travel Awards 2016 for the sixth consecutive year. This award affirms that we are giving our customers the value they demand and provides a good foundation, as Caribbean Airlines moves to achieve our vision of being the preferred airline serving the Caribbean.”

She added: “Caribbean Airlines is committed to the development of the region. We work closely with stakeholders to deliver the air transport that is needed, while fulfilling the mandate of our shareholders as well as our mandate to constantly improve our service delivery, by responding to the ever changing needs of travelers and within the constraints of our current resource base.

The “technical issue” that CAL flight BW-1527 experienced on Sunday was an engine fire warning, according to an article published in The Aviation Herald news service.

On Sunday, CAL had issued a statement regarding the incident, saying the issue was a technical one.

CAL stated then: “The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked. The aircraft has been withdrawn from service and all appropriate inspections and procedures are in progress. Caribbean Airlines apologizes for any inconvenience caused and assures all stakeholders that the safety of its valued customers and crew is the airline’s number one priority.”

Source: The Trinidad Daily Express