Changes en route for LIAT

Some changes are coming to regional carrier LIAT.

 

Confirmation came from Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Julie Reifer-Jones, while she was speaking to the media yesterday morning after a service at the St. George Parish Church to mark the airline’s 60th anniversary. 

Reifer-Jones’ comments came as she responded to a question from the media regarding the airline’s ability to meet the demands for regional travel, given that it has changed its fleet from 18 DASH 8 planes to 10 ATRs, the last of which is to arrive by next month.

 

“We will meet the demands of the region based on routes that are profitable for us. Our mandate from the major shareholders is to try to find ways to be self-sustaining and to be profitable. So although we will try to meet our social obligations in connecting the region, we will do that taking into account the extent to which the route will cover our operating costs. So we will make some changes, but they will largely be to make the operations more commercially viable,” she explained. 

 

Reflecting on the anniversary, she said it is an important occasion for the airline and they are celebrating the fact that they have been serving the region for such a long time.

 

“There have been a lot of changes to LIAT over the years, but we have never wavered in our commitment to serving the region… We know we have challenges and we have to focus on improvement. Reverend Rogers challenged us to do better, and internally we are having lots of discussions about how we can serve the public in a much more customer-friendly way. I would like to think that in 2017 that LIAT will be something that we can all be proud of, because that is our objective as we move forward,” she said.

 

Earlier in the service, Rector of the St. George Parish Church, Reverend John Rogers urged the LIAT representatives present not to be daunted by the challenges they face, but to use the anniversary as a time of introspection and reflection to ensure that they give of their best to the communities they serve. 

 

“I want to encourage you to continue your work… seeking renewal, seeking to chart a new path for your institution, for your airline in the 21st century, recognising that God has endowed you with what is necessary to make this airline better, a better servant to the people of our region,” he said. 

(JRT)