Back in 2001, Minister Lynch made the following statement at a Caribbean and Hotel and Tourism Conference:
Noel Lynch, the tourism minister for Barbados, told the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference in Curacao last month, that the island governments ”have got to step back and look at the airline issue more seriously.” He questioned whether privately owned airlines could fill that role as well as those that Caribbean governments might own or subsidize.
Source: The New York Times
In today’s Nation newspaper at the “welcome ceremony for the inaugural American Eagle flight that touched down at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday” this is what Minister Lynch had to say.
Government is not opposed to an American Eagle flight on the lucrative Barbados-St Lucia route. In fact, said Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, the additional airlift is welcomed, as it would not only provide additional seats but also take some of the pressure off LIAT. Speaking during a brief welcome ceremony for the inaugural American Eagle flight that touched down at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday evening, Lynch said it appeared that the service had been contentious.
Source: Nation
Here is what his counterpart and businessman Allen Chastenet from St. Lucia had to say:
St Lucia’s Minister of Tourism, Allen Chastanet, who along with other officials and media representatives came in on the flight, said the country turned to America Eagle to fill the void left by the reduced LIAT service. “Since the amalgamation of LIAT and Caribbean Star, capacity has been cut by 50 per cent and the overall drop in business has been 45 per cent and that is business that has not gone away.
Source: Nation
You be the judge.
The picture above is hilarious
The Nation headline reads ” Lynch welcomes American Eagle”
Does his face look welcoming to you?
AND the body language!!!
Sadly the man sitting next to him outshines him at every turn, He is smart, intelligent, and honest, all these are the qualities that our minister sadly lacks.
Yes I laughed myself when I saw the picture, they say a picture is worth a thousand words well this is worth ten times more than that.
We are still awaiting the reduction in the inter island airfares that were promised by Lynch six weeks after their talks this is now in excess of 4 months and we still have not seen any reductions, is this another lie cast on the public by Noeless Lynch?
WIV
We’ll soon see some reductions on the St. Lucia route!!!
Hartley Henry makes the point which Loveridge makes all the time. Barbados charges are the highest in the Caribbean and causes the ticket to be higher that other places.
http://www.nationnews.com/editorial/320944845962818.php
Was I dreaming?
Or did he say that we could expect reductions in 6 weeks ?
Am I to assume that he was once again lying ?
When will the Eagle service start to Antigua, St.Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago among others ?
We must have the weakest Minister of tourism in the region, do they do polls to ascertain this status?
Wishing in Vain..
No! you were not dreaming.
He made the statement om 24 June to be exact.
Another broken promise.
Yum Yum…
Totally agree, what do they say, a picture tells a thousand words.
Did you read what percentage, Intra Caribbean travel is down by. Frightening, and of course its business when we need it the most.
In other quarters they are boasting about average daily visitor spend being up US$6 per person per day, from US$152 to US$156 from 2005 to 2006.
What was the rate was inflation last year?
It would be interesting to know what the average spend per visitor per day was in other Caribbean countries.
Muscle Mary Lynch look brute cruel in that picture. Was David Ellis in the room reporting for VOB? Flynch obviously wants nothing to do with the Saint Lucian minister. FLynch was against Eagle when Chastenet first mooted it. Like he soften his stance a la Trottie. What a clown and embarassment to our beloved country MM
Lynch is. Loveridge how can St. Lucia start flying Eagle from Barbados just so ? Dont Barbados have a say in who flies from here? I assume this has something to do with air rights. Explain please.
Judging from the photo, Muscle Mary is turning into Flabby Freda.
A whole new scene is beckoning.
baloney minister lynch has done the right thing
Eventually he has done the right thing and against his earlier judgement endorsed Am Eagle.
I hope he continues to realise the folly of his past actions and makes amends before our tourism is permanently damaged.
Withdraw support for the basket case which is LIAT.
Allow free market competition in the air but subsidise at least four fast inter-island ferries.
I agree that Noel Lynch has changed his tune regarding the new American Eagle flight. He was one of the most outspoken critics, when Allen Chastanent first announced plans to introduce the service earlier this year. I’m not sure if at the time he was simply trying to please the other LIAT shareholders – like St Vincent, Mr. Lynch needs to get his act together and not regurgitate his vomit.
All the talk Barney is one of the longest serving Ministers of Tourism in Barbados and the region. It means Owen got real confidence in the “guy”
Shervon back then Lynch expressed indignant displeasure at coming of Am eagle.
He called what Am Eagle and Chastenet doing “cherry picking”.
He singing a different tune today. The lying and flip flopping continues.