Redjet as still not paid its staff .The last time they were paid was February 2012.They will not have any pilots if they come back,because most of the pilots are looking jobs.Also they still have not paid some of there pilots who had left from last year.
The notes to support this blog were done in December, 2011 and given the demise of REDjet have taken on relevance. Columnist and committed regionalist Sir Ronald Saunders wrote an article a few months ago which probed the current state of LIAT and anticipated what its failure would mean for the region. Over the years there has been the fixation with movement of people and not the concomitant interest in regional air travel and financial settlement to support trade. Implementing one of the three at the expense of the other will always be an exercise in futility for those who want a more integrated region..
LIAT over the years has become synonymous with problems. Sir Ronald’s article paints a gloomy picture for LIAT by making bold that LIAT will collapse if shareholder governments are not prepared to implement required changes in short order. Prime Minister of St. Vincent Ralph Gonzales, who is Caricom’s lead spokesman for transportation along with Barbados, the largest shareholder, have hinted the number of shareholders will be increasing by two. Has there been an update on this matter?
The inability of Caricom to effectively manage LIAT over the years is reflective of the lack of commitment by member states to see the importance of regional travel. Who are we fooling? Regional integration has become a cliché peddled by regional politicians to look the part. How can Caricom achieve its aims if members are not of one accord regarding support for a regional transportation system? or a Court system? or a Central Bank? or…
Yes the collapse of LIAT is a worry however of equal or greater concern has been the failure of the region to manage its obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chagauramus to facilitate an environment which supports prosperity for the Caricom region. A recent example is the lack of leadership by Caricom to protect the region from pan-Caribbean companies like CLICO given the absence of a regulatory framework which straddles Caricom. In the case of regional transport and specifically LIAT, to create a common airspace to facilitate better economics for the players. The output from a more efficient regional framework for travel would translate to efficient mobility of people (labour) and goods. Why would our leaders want this to happen?
BU holds no brief for REDjet but all who witnessed its birth must admit it had a difficult delivery. While some of the blame must fall at the feet of REDjet investors, it must be stated that there is obviously a lack of a lucid regional air transport policy which resulted in ‘every turkey for he own craw’ approach which probably contributed to the failure of REDjet.
The unwillingness of the region to flex how we engage in obvious opportunities for functional cooperation is a reflection of a leadership married to ideologies at the expense of what is pragmatic.
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