The REDjet Demise, Regional Aviation and the Caricom

Aviation in the region, more so as it impacts intra-Caribbean travel, is in a complete mess. Thanks to a Caribbean Community (Caricom) that is in hapless disarray, and doesn’t seem to have a clue about how it should go about setting up the infrastructure for a properly coordinated travel system among its member states.

And the announced failure on the weekend of the region’s first and only Low Fare Airline (LFA), Barbados-based REDjet, is cruel testimony to this Caricom failing.

And while it can be argued that it was not Caricom’s doing, (REDjet’s failure that is), the very strategic roadblocks put up by the regulatory bodies of individual governments, seemed aimed at ensuring the airline never even got off the ground.

But it gets worse. Can anyone give a good and proper reason why Caribbean Airlines’ application seeking permission to operate flights between Grantley Adams International, Barbados and St Lucia has not yet been granted by the Barbadian authorities after almost a year? There is a deafening silence from Bridgetown on this issue.

REDjet suffered a similar fate when its application to operate the same route – Barbados/St Lucia/Barbados – remained in some officer’s in tray for months. The fact that it was recently granted was obviously too little too late, but then maybe that was the intention. And REDjet was Barbados’ designated national carrier.

But while some governments engaged in political games, there were others who were anxious for REDjet to begin services into their airports. Hotelier Allan Chastanet, former Tourism Minister in St Lucia said, “Look how long it took REDjet to get its route rights to fly into St Lucia from Barbados.” He added that there was just too much bureaucracy and official red tape within the regional aviation sector.

Chastanet, who has for a long time lobbied for an open skies policy said, “We have to sit down and start looking at aviation in a holistic sense.” An open skies policy should allow all Caricom registered airlines to operate equally.

Dr Kenny Anthony, prime minister of St Lucia was reported in the Barbados weekend press to have described REDjet as a “courageous investment” and added he believed that the airline’s owners have a point when they talk about the “uneven competitive environment.” He added that he hoped the airline could find a formula to help them resume operations.

Anthony admitted that governments throughout the Eastern Caribbean are reeling from the issue of subsidies to foreign airlines.

Jean Holder, LIAT’s chairman, who said a year ago that REDjet’s fares were “simply too good to be true,” said LIAT would assist in getting displaced passengers to their destinations. “We’ll do everything we can to assist REDjet with any issues they may have in terms of moving people,” he said.

In a late release Monday night, the grounded airline stated, “REDjet confirms that there continue to be discussions designed to resolve the current temporary suspension of flights. REDjet further confirms that the current service suspension is in no way related to aircraft, employees and/or its business model.” Redjet plane Thursday March 29, 2012