Following the inauguration and reconstitution of LIAT airlines, only 12 passengers were aboard the airline’s inaugural flight to Dominica on Sunday, said LIAT administrator Cleveland Seaford. Appointed by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) to oversee the administration of the beleaguered airline, Seaford said he has faced consistent challenges in trying to reposition the airline again.
The flight on Sunday to Dominica coincided with the national independence celebrations of Antigua and Barbuda, but Seaford said it wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous contributions and cooperations of LIAT workers who went without pay for several months to keep the airline operational.
“Had it not been for the staff at LIAT and I mean the rank and file staff, who have gone to work for months without any pay, we would not have seen that airline in the sky on Sunday”, he stated.
According to Seaford, major LIAT shareholders revived the airline with a $1 million investment, and about 500 employees had to go, while more than 100 staff continued to work without pay for months to get the airline into the skies again. He said restructuring LIAT has been difficult due to lack of funds, and he had had to renegotiate with creditors and procure some services on credit to get things functional at the interim.
The airline currently has 103 staffers, with four of them being executive members. However, Seaford said the company will be able to employ more than 20 people again when business begins to boom again for the airline.
He also noted that Grenada has agreed to pay employees that are from the country, and Dominica has also agreed to settle the salaries of employees who are Dominican. He added that Antigua and Barbuda will soon be able to work with a private investor to get the airline marketable and profitable again.
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