Photo Caption: Regional Carrier, Liat
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Oct 19 2016 – Regional airline LIAT is expected to record EC$9.2 million (BDS$6.8 million) in losses at the end of this year.
Chairman of LIAT’s shareholder governments Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves made the disclosure at a media conference today following a closed-door meeting at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
The airline’s budgeted total revenue for 2016 was EC$318.8 million (BDS $236.8 million)
He said for the current financial year the cash-strapped carrier made a net profit of EC$5 (BDS $3.7 million) up to August.
Dr Gonsalves said shareholders were now considering a request to provide an additional EC$5 million for the airline. Once approved, he said it would be divided between Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda.
During the media conference he outlined planned reforms for the struggling airline including the cutting of some “nonperforming” routes, customer service improvements and customer training.
He also disclosed that current shareholder governments have asked three other regional governments to become “partners” in the airline – St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada. (Barbados TODAY)
