Now it’s mid-July, LIAT says on return to skies

Just five days before it was set to announce whether it would resume regular passenger flights, LIAT on Thursday pushed back its return to the skies by a further two weeks, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now those who booked flights based on the expected June 30 return to the skies that was announced on May 29 are to have their flights cancelled and the fares paid credited to future bookings, the key mover of people in intra-regional travel has announced.

As the airline’s 15 destinations begin to announce border reopening dates, Chief Executive Officer Julie Reifer-Jones suggested that extended quarantine restrictions and protocols are softening the demand for travel.

The cash-strapped carrier’s management and the governments that own it are to continue to “monitor the situation” and review the July 15 resumption date “as more information becomes available”.

Passengers booked during the extended period of suspension will automatically have their bookings cancelled and will receive full airline credit for future travel. Passengers will be able to rebook as soon as the airline announces the resumption of passenger services, a LIAT statement said.

Reifer-Jones said LIAT was open to working with regional governments to repatriate citizens who were stranded across the region while its regular flight schedule remains suspended.

She described the extension as “extremely difficult” but“necessary” for the airline to work towards a feasible restart.

Last month, the LIAT boss cited “a great deal of uncertainty” about the date of reopening of most borders and public health protocols across the region.

Acknowledging that the pandemic crisis was “an extremely difficult time” for both LIAT staff and passengers, she said then that the carrier is committed to keeping the region connected “especially after this crisis”.

Throughout the pandemic, LIAT has been moving largely air cargo and some passengers on special charters.

Last month, the airline brought 100 Cuban medics to Barbados on a charter from Havana in a rare trip further north than the Dominican Republic, the northern edge of its 15-destination network.