Caribbean News Service (CNS)
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Sep 11 2016 – In response to a scathing letter from the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines about shoddy service, LIAT has promised to do better.
“LIAT have decided to make some network and scheduling changes to avoid the late arrivals into St Vincent,” Chief Executive Officer Julie Reifer-Jones said.
In a September 4 letter, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security in Kingstown, Godfred Pompey told the airline “it is time for LIAT to get its act and attitude towards the travelling public of St. Vincent and the Grenadines together”.
Pompey told Diane Shurland, LIAT’s Antigua-based legal counsel, that once LIAT makes a request for the E.T. Joshua Airport to remain open beyond the 11:30 pm agreed operating hours, his ministry will bill LIAT for staff overtime.
In a statement from Reifer-Jones, she confirmed that a meeting has been scheduled in St Vincent & the Grenadines with the LIAT management team for Wednesday September 14, 2016.
“It is correct LIAT has cancelled a number of evening services due to adverse weather conditions and we have, on occasion, requested later than normal arrivals into ET Joshua, in order to ensure the flight schedule is maintained. Cancellations due to adverse weather are done in the interest of safety and with regard for the lives of passengers and crew,” Reifer-Jones said.
“As St Vincent and the Grenadines is a major shareholder of LIAT, we will meet and seek to resolve these concerns outside of the glare of the media.”