LIAT’s management is moving ahead with plans to open a third base in Trinidad considering it as an important development for the airline.
Chief Executive Officer of LIAT Mark Darby said the new base will help the airline to reduce its cost. He explained that LIAT has been spending a lot of money on hotel accommodation for its flight crews. “It will help us keep our cost down and if we can keep our cost down, then we can pass that on to the passengers in terms of low fares,” Darby said.
According to Darby, the airline spends between US$100,000 to US$200,000 per month just on hotels for its staff. “We feel that a change like this is important and it will save the company money,” Darby firmly stated. He said most of the airline’s pilots and cabin crews spend several nights at hotels in Trinidad and once the base is open, they would not have to do that.
Plans to open the new base within three months are being met with some resistance by workers based in Antigua and in Barbados.
Chairman of the Leeward Island Air Line Pilots Association (LIALPA) Captain Michael Blackburn recently said the body will not be supporting any arrangements for the establishment of a new base in Trinidad until the members get a chance to evaluate the relevant studies. Blackburn cited several reasons including the personal security of workers who would have to move to Trinidad and the cost of living in that country.
Commenting on this issue, the CEO said they began discussions with unions some months ago and talks are progressing. He said as far as the company is concerned, they have the right to open the base and their collective agreement speaks to that.
“We are just following the procedures within that collective agreement and with the support of the board which we have already been given; we’ll go ahead and do it,” Darby added. “At the same time, we have to be sensitive to the concerns of our staff, we are not callous people; we’ll look at their concerns.”
Forty-two members of crew (both pilots and cabin crew) will be based in Trinidad once all goes well with the new base.