LIAT's operations normal after fire destroys plane, hanger and 2 office blocks

Fire at LIAT's headquarters in Antigua. Photo courtesy LIAT

The Caribbean commuter airline LIAT said on Monday an investigation is continuing into a fire at the airline's headquarters in Antigua Sunday that destroyed two office blocks, an aircraft hanger and one plane. There are no reports of injury to anyone or loss of life.

LIAT's Corporate Communications Manager Desmond Brown said the preliminary evaluation shows that there have been significant losses.

Brown said despite the fire LIAT is continuing normal operations throughout its network.

The fire started around half past ten on Sunday night and spread rapidly. The plane that was destroyed in the blaze was the oldest of three Dash-8s still in LIAT’s fleet. It was more than 21 years old and was undergoing a routine maintenance check at the time.

LIAT said it is working with the state authorities as well as the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) to determine the cause of the fire.