Shareholders Huddle to Discuss Dominica's Concerns over LIAT

Dominica’s prime minister has indicated that the island’s tourism officials are expected to engage with LIAT to address Roseau’s concerns about alleged poor service by the regional airline.

A letter written to LIAT by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit expressing his disappointment with the level of service from LIAT has been put in the public domain.

However, the Dominican leader said, while he wants the matter dealt with, he does not want to engage in a public quarrel with LIAT. Dominica is one of LIAT’s shareholder governments.

“I believe that LIAT has the ability to do much better than they are doing and I have spoken to the chairman of the shareholder government, the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. There will be a convening of the shareholders meeting very soon where we will have the opportunity to again express our concerns.

“LIAT has in fact written to me to apologizing for the service which they’ve been rendering to Dominica, the ministry of tourism, Discover Dominica Authority will be meeting with LIAT very soon to discuss the service which Dominica ought to be receiving so I’m hoping by next week once the date and times are mutually convenient for both LIAT and the ministry of tourism those discussions will be held and recommendations made on LIAT can improve its service to Dominica.

“So I don’t want to engage LIAT in any public war of words or anything like that but I felt it was necessary for us to document our concerns with regards to the service which we’re receiving," Skerrit said.

Skerrit has been scathing about LIAT’s flight schedule, complaining that there are no LIAT flights from Dominica travelling south. He’s also disappointed that there are only two flights travelling north to Antigua daily.

Former Air Jamaica official Allen Chastanet, the political leader of St Lucia’s opposition United Workers Party (UWP), is also critical of the current flight schedule of the airline.

Chastanet said that, while LIAT remains a cash-strapped, struggling airline, there are examples in the wider region that it can emulate.

Source: Caribbean News Now