Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) is compelled to correct inaccurate statements made in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago on November 13, 2026, concerning the airline’s finances, leadership and governance.
Former Minister of Finance, Mr. Colm Imbert asserted that Caribbean Airlines sought a $1 billion bailout from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. This claim is categorically false. At no time did the current Board or Management of Caribbean Airlines seek a bailout, and at no time did the airline request assistance in the sum of $1 billion.
The Former Minister also stated that Ms Nirmala Ramai was no longer with the airline. Caribbean Airlines confirms that Ms. Nirmala Ramai remains with the organization as Chief Operations Officer and continues to serve as a senior member of the airline’s Leadership Team.
The Board firmly rejects the former Minister’s criticism of its stewardship, which stands in direct contrast to the record of governance under the tenure of the previous Board. During that period, the previous Board of Directors of Caribbean Airlines was reprimanded for failing to follow the appropriate procurement requirements in the acquisition of several services. In fact, the former Minister himself wrote to the then Chairman on December 23, 2024, identifying instances of non-compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Property Act, 2015.
Manpower reports also showed that the previous Board appointed persons to positions within the organization without adherence to an appropriate recruitment process and without regard to the approved organizational chart. Further, the backlog of nine years of unaudited financials cannot be overlooked; contrary to prudent governance, these unaudited financials were used to award bonuses to a Senior Executive at that time.
The burden of cleaning up these irregularities, which speak to overall poor governance, now rests with the current Board and Management.
Indeed, the record of the current Board of Directors speaks for itself. Between July 2025 and October 2026, four years of outstanding audited financial statements (2017 to 2020) have been completed. Additionally, various cost reduction initiatives and strategic business decisions have been undertaken, which are projected to achieve double-digit reduction in expenditure for the 2026 financial year when compared to 2025.
The current Board has also ensured that all executive and management appointments are conducted through a rigorous and transparent recruitment process based on competence and performance. In addition, the Board remains committed to full compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Property Act and the highest standards of corporate governance.
Caribbean Airlines will not allow inaccurate statements about its operations to go unanswered. The airline calls on all parties to exercise a much greater sense of responsibility and urges the public to rely only on verified facts when commenting on Trinidad and Tobago’s national carrier, which proudly serves the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.
