LIAT on domestic airbridge until April 30

Caribbean Airlines has entered into a commercial agreement with LIAT to service the airbridge between Trinidad and Tobago from March 19 to April 30.

Trinidad and Tobago is a shareholder of the cash-strapped LIAT, whose main shareholders are the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines

The first flight took place Monday afternoon from the Piarco International Airport to the ANR International airport, with LIAT operating an ATR 72 aircraft.

In a statement on Tuesday, Manager of Corporate Communications at CAL, Dionne Ligoure said LIAT has a wet lease for the domestic airbridge. “The Government of Trinidad and Tobago will underwrite the cost of the wet lease. This arrangement enables Caribbean Airlines to provide the additional capacity needed on the airbridge at this time.

“The aircraft will be used solely for domestic operations until April 30, 2018,” Ligoure said. She said the arrangement with LIAT enables CAL “to provide the additional capacity needed on the airbridge at this time as the aircraft will be used solely for domestic operations.”

She added that CAL has been collaborating with the Port Authority to ensure that persons holding confirmed ferry tickets were accommodated on flights, and that “this process has been in place since March 13 and is operating seamlessly.”

In a release posted to its Facebook page, LIAT, noting the agreement with CAL, said it was “as a result of the challenges on the passenger seabridge between the islands and the increase in capacity needed by Caribbean Airlines which has been requested by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Chief Executive Officer of LIAT, Julie Reifer-Jones, said such cooperation was an important part of maintaining connectivity. She said the LIAT aircraft would be operated and maintained by LIAT staff.