Bombardier says CAL did not act fairly in negotiations to buy planes

The Canadian Aerospace giant Bombardier has written to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan complaining that Caribbean Airlines (CAL) did not negotiate fairly with Bombardier on the purchase of new aircraft for the airline.

In the letter from Ross Gray, Director of Sales, the Americas Bombardier Commercial Aircraft dated December 21, Bombardier outlined the entire process suggesting that it was compromised.

Read the letter: AG Ramlogan gets a letter from Bombardier saying CAL didn't act fairly

The aircraft manufacturer said CAL never invited it to bid and CAL did not make any request for proposals from Bombardier. Gray said when the facts are considered it would be clear that the evaluation process had "very little, if any, transparency" and that "preferential treatment was given to ATR".

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has asked Ramlogan to to look into the issue of the safety and suitability of the ATR aircraft. A report by a British safety expert is expected to be presented to cabinet Thursday.

CAL's chairman, George Nicholas III and the line minister, Jack Warner are at loggerheads. Warner has accused Nicholas of being rude to him and charged that the chairman has "a penchant" for Bombardier planes.

The negotiations to buy new planes for CAL began during the Manning PNM administration when Arthur Lok Jack was chairman. Captain Ian Brunton, who was the CEO, concluded the negotiations and recommended that the airline buy 9 turbo jet plane from the European Manufacturer.

Gray suggested in his letter that the process was skewed in favour of ATR from the very inception, starting with the Arthur Lok Jack board in January 2010. The People's Partnership cabinet approved the deal before anew CAL board was appointed.

The former Lok Jack board has distanced itself from the transaction. One former director told the Trinidad Express, "We never drove this process to the point of procurement... We demitted office in May. We had preliminary conversations with the two manufacturers, but we never made a decision or were approaching making a decision."

Gray said early in the negotiations Brunton and several members of CAL management informed Bombardier that CAL "was leaning towards the ATR 72".

He said they said Bombardier was told that ATR was offering to put a training facility and a maintenance repair facility for ATR72s in Trinidad to serve the region and that the ATR72 was being offered "at a very low price". CAL also believed the ATR 72 was more economical to operate, Gray said.