LIAT shareholders meet to discuss airline downsizing, CAL's plan for EC service

LIAT's principal shareholders are meeting in St Vincent Wednesday to discuss possible downsizing following the decision to close the airline's Port of Spain offices last Friday and stop issuing tickets in Trinidad. 

They will also deal with plans by Caribbean Airlines for a service to the Eastern Caribbean

In a statement in Barbados Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves announced that he will host his counterparts from Barbados and Antigua to discuss "a number of matters, based on an extensive agenda”.

The statement added that the agenda also includes the operational plans and performance of LIAT, Financial reports and projections and industrial relations and human resource development. The shareholders will also discuss the CAL issue.

A number of top LIAT officials, including the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Jean Holder will be attending the shareholders meeting, the statement said.

Media reports last week quoted LIAT’s Chief Executive Officer Brian Challenger as advising some staff members of pending downsizing due to losses that the airline has suffered.
 
LIAT advised customers that effective Friday January 28 LIAT's Trinidad office would close. Chief Commercial Officer Leesa Parris-Rudder referred customers to the airline’s hotline, website or airport office or to a local travel agent for further assistance.

All employees in Port of Spain are now without work. LIAT employs more than 900 people in 22 destinations throughout the Caribbean with about 600 of them based in Antigua where the airlines has its regional headquarters.

Now LIAT employees fear the downsizing would put about 100 of them on the breadline.

LIAT’s Corporate Communications Manager Desmond Brown told media on Sunday he had no immediate comment to make on the matter, adding that the airline would address the media reports in due course.