CARIBUPDATE NEWS SERVICE

01/25/2023

01/19/2023

https://youtu.be/RI4WiK76SFk

Oslyn Crosby reporting

10/10/2022

ANTIGUA PRIME MINISTER TALKS UP LIAT DEAL

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Oct 10, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne says he shares the concerns of his Grenadian counterpart, Dickon Mitchell, who has said his administration is prepared to lease an aircraft if Caribbean governments are unable to sort out the regional transportation sector by yearend.

Caribbean travel has been thrown into chaos following the collapse of the Antigua-based regional airline, LIAT (1974) limited with the region travelling population disgruntled at the inability of move around as freely as they used to during LIAT’s operations.

In an exclusive interview aired on WPG10 in Grenada last Friday, Mitchell, said the regional airline sector needs “urgent fixing” and that there needs to be more decisive movement on the issue before yearend.
“If by October, November, we don’t have an arrangement …then it means if Grenada has to go and lease the planes so that we can fly between Grenada and Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago we will have to do so.”

Browne told the state-owned ABS Radio and Television on Sunday that in the interim “if we don’t scale up LIAT then he (Mitchell) has a point.

“I think we are going to have a very strong tourism season in 2022 within the Caribbean and we can’t have LIAT with three planes and just sit back. So what we plan to do is that we are going to add about two more planes within the next few months, hopefully we can get them in place for the next season.

“We are currently negotiating with a leaser,” he said, noting also that efforts are being made to take the LIAT brand international.
He said there is an “initiative with a Chinese group in which they are about to incorporate a new LIAT entity, LIAT International, and they are prepared to do international flights, probably China, Frankfurt (Germany) Antigua and also to do some charters with other some South American destinations where LIAT does not service.

Last week, the government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the CFA Global, a subsidiary of Caribbean Tourism Group (CTG), a private regional company involved in investments in travel, tourism, and aviation.

Under the just signed memorandum, CTG T/A “LIAT International” will deploy a fleet of small, medium, and large aircrafts, including Airbus A330, Airbus A320 and ATRs, in passenger service to the Caribbean and South America, along with international travel routes from Europe, according to a statement issued here.
It said that the memorandum for a partnership agreement on the operation of the new Antigua-based LIAT International was signed by the Minister of Works and Finance Lenox Weston and the CTH chairman, Ma Chao.

“The MOU is in keeping with a commitment from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the restructuring and return to commercial service of regional airline, LIAT 2020,” the statement said, adding “central to the plan is developing international routes that will bring tourists and businesspersons from Asia and other parts of the world to the Caribbean, using Antigua as a gateway”.
It said one of the proposed routes is from Frankfurt, Germany to Antigua, which could become a viable connection for visitors from China now that a visa-waiver agreement between China and Antigua is set to be signed.

In August, regional leaders met to discuss the situation regarding air transportation in the Caribbean amidst concerns that both regional and international travellers are finding it very expensive and difficult to commute.

Mitchell said then it was agreed “that we would retain a consultant to provide advice to the heads of the region as to how we can address the critical need to have, particularly air transportation resumed at a level that existed prior to COVID-19”.

Prime Minister Browne said the completion of the study will most likely “take several more months”.

LIAT is owned by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said previously that a decision had been taken that would allow Barbados and SVG to turn over their shares in LIAT to St. John’s for one EC dollar (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) .

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Browne appealed to Caribbean trade unions to re-think their positions regarding the latest offer made to laid-off workers of the airline.

The Grenada Prime Minister told reporters that LIAT (1974) Limited “is bankrupt and that has been made clear and it is in receivership”.
LIAT (1974) limited in June 2020, entered into court-appointed administration after a high court judge in Antigua and Barbuda granted a petition for the cash-strapped pan-Caribbean carrier’s reorganisation. The Guyana-born Cleveland Seaforth, has been appointed LIAT’s administrator for the duration of proceedings. The airline owes former employees including pilots millions of dollars (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) in severance and other payments..

10/03/2022

LIAT readies for take-off after new agreement with Caribbean Tourism Group

ST JOHN’S ANTIGUA (Oct 3, 2022) - A new LIAT is underway, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, and the CFA Global a subsidiary of Caribbean Tourism Group (CTG), a private regional company involved in investments in travel, tourism, and aviation.

Under the just signed memorandum, CTG T/A “LIAT International” will deploy a fleet of small, medium, and large aircrafts, including Airbus A330, Airbus A320 and ATRs, in passenger service to the Caribbean and South America, along with international travel routes from Europe.

The memorandum for a partnership agreement on the operation of the new Antigua-based LIAT International was signed in St John’s on Friday between Lenox Weston, Minister of Works and Finance of Antigua and Barbuda and the Chairman of CTG Mr. Ma Chao.

The MOU is in keeping with a commitment from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the restructuring and return to commercial service of regional airline, LIAT 2020.

Central to the plan is developing international routes that will bring tourists and businesspersons from Asia and other parts of the world to the Caribbean, using Antigua as a gateway.

One of the proposed routes is from Frankfurt, Germany to Antigua, which could become a viable connection for visitors from China now that a visa-waiver agreement between China and Antigua is set to be signed.

This visa-waiver would mean that Chinese citizens do not need visas to travel to the Caribbean nation and can reach the region in the shortest time in transit through Frankfurt.

On arrival in Antigua, the passengers will then have the option, using LIAT 2020 or LIAT International routes, to travel to various other Caribbean countries.

CTG says this will help promote the economic development of Antigua and benefiting the rest of the member-states of the Caribbean Community.

ABOUT CARIBBEAN TOURISM GROUP

Caribbean Tourism Group is headquartered in Antigua, mainly involving investments in four major sectors – hotel, aviation, shipping, and shopping malls.

Currently CTG is involved in investing in two hotels in Antigua and Barbuda that will have a total of 400 rooms.

CTG is also developing a shipping network for the Eastern Caribbean, that will connect various island-nations through fast ships to achieve a smooth flow of people. It is also developing and constructing a free trade sorting centre to quickly disperse goods from Antigua to various countries.

Caribbean Tourism Group has also invested in the Hartman University Town and Resort project currently underway in Grenada.

09/11/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svQgNTBH2JE

02/19/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=pZZJeTjtkSI

"Not everyone with a different view should be dismissed as washed-up!"

02/02/2022

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbuApWGMIFI

01/05/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cn2XaDinhw

PART 1 - Interview with Supervisor of Elections Elvis Morain

01/05/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEmCaJXw7U&lc=Ugwrai1uRvi3rKxPyn54AaABAg

12/16/2021

https://www.facebook.com/WPG10News/videos/633523994449548

12/16/2021

https://www.facebook.com/WPG10News/videos/337732004449931

12/08/2021

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11/16/2021

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11/13/2021

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11/11/2021

Former member Jenny Papier and current member Janice Augustine appear on The Narrative.

11/10/2021

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11/09/2021