Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell says his administration is prepared to lease an aircraft if Caribbean governments are unable to sort out the regional transportation sector by year-end.
In an exclusive interview aired on WPG10 on Friday night, Mitchell, who led his National Democratic Congress (NDC) to power in June, said the regional airline sector needs urgent fixing and that there needs to be more decisive movement on the issue before year-end.
“If by October, November, we don’t have an arrangement …then it means if Grenada has to go and lease the planes so that we can fly between Grenada and Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago we will have to do so.
“The truth is we can’t get to Trinidad,” Mitchell said, noting however that with several new leaders in the Caribbean he is optimistic that the situation will be dealt with.
“Let’s put it this way, I am optimistic it will not get to that,” he said, adding that regional governments must be prepared to spend more money on regional transport.
In August, regional leaders met to discuss the situation regarding air transportation in the Caribbean amidst concerns that both regional and international travellers are finding it very expensive and difficult to commute.
Mitchell said then it was agreed that a consultant would be retained to provide advice to the heads of the region as to how we can address the critical need to have, particularly air transportation resumed at a level that existed prior to COVID-19.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders at their summit in Suriname in July had agreed on a new modern Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) that will allow for a new framework within which air transportation will operate in the region.
