LIAT Passengers May Still Continue to Face Traveling Woes

The chief executive officer of the regional airline, LIAT, Ian Brunton, says the traveling public will continue to face problems even as the airline improves upon its bumpy summer schedule.

But, Brunton is dismissing criticisms that the problems are associated with the airline’s decision to undertake it re-fleeting exercise.

LIAT shareholder governments Friday signed a US$65 million loan agreement with the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to assist in the upgrade of the aging fleet.

The loan represents 61 per cent of a US$100 million re-fleeting exercise being undertaken by the Antigua-based regional airline that is replacing its Canadian Dash 8 fleet with French made ATRs.

Barbados, LIAT’s largest shareholder takes up the bulk of the loan- US$33.2 million – while Antigua and Barbuda, US$21.9 million, St. Vincent and Grenadines, US$7 million and Dominica US$2.4 million.

But each shareholder will provide the funds to LIAT on the same terms it received from the CDB with the airline responsible for repaying the loan over a 13-year period, following a two-year grace period.