Bring Belize into Caribbean

THE EDITOR: As a regular traveller on Caribbean Airlines, I have often wondered why it does not open up a route to Belize from Trinidad, with stops in Barbados and Jamaica (Kingston), and onward to Belize, an almost two-hour journey from Kingston, and the return route from Belize via Kingston and Barbados, then to Trinidad.

Research has shown that BWIA and what was BOAC (now British Airways) at the time operated flights to Belize from Kingston in the early 1950s. These flights were operated in association with each other, with BWIA operating a route that included Belize and connecting with BOAC flights in Kingston.

I am also thinking of using the Antigua gateway to get passengers to Kingston to connect to the Belize flight from Kingston. This second bit needs some serious thought.

Travellers from the Caribbean would not have to go through the US to get to Belize, and the same for Belize travellers coming into the Caribbean not having to go through the US.

Belize is a Caricom country, bounded by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country has a 280-km coastline, and a population of over 400,000 inhabitants. The principal spoken language is English.

Belize achieved independence on September 21, 1981, but it has retained its historical link with the UK through membership in the Commonwealth. It is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice, and has strong links with the UWI in all three campuses.

Belize is often thought of as a Caribbean country in Central America because it has a history similar to that of English-speaking Caribbean nations. Its small but culturally diverse population is reflected in its multiplicity of ethnicities, languages, religions, cuisines, styles of music and dress, and folklore.

I hope some research and studies on this suggested route would be done, and bring Belize and Central America into the Caribbean, and vice versa.

DR JAMES EDWARDS

New York