At 7:25 PM (local time) yesterday, Monday (22), the LI 335 flight from Tortola (EIS) landed at V.C Bird International Airport in Saint John (Antigua and Barbuda), marking LIAT 1974 Ltd’s last service after 50 years.
Here’s how the aircraft was received upon arrival:
Throughout January 22, the sole operational ATR 42-600 of the airline, with registration V2-LIG, conducted its final flights in various islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Local governments expressed concern about the reduction in flights, crucial for connecting the islands.
This closure also results in the unfortunate layoff of approximately 160 employees.
In a social media post, the airline stated, «It’s a bittersweet day for us… Thanks to everyone who has supported us until the end of this chapter, and we look to the future with hope in the new one.»
See Also: Air Peace to Acquire Majority Stake in LIAT
Amid the cessation of operations, announced in late December 2023, LIAT’s relaunch as a joint venture is being pursued involving the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Surprisingly, Nigerian airline Air Peace would be a shareholder in the new company.
See Also: interCaribbean Inaugurates Flights to a New Caribbean Destination
In early 2024, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda revealed that the majority of the staff is expected to be rehired in the renewed LIAT 2020 Ltd.
The airline is the second in the Caribbean to suspend its operations after Air Antilles. However, interCaribbean, Caribbean Airlines, and Winair have progressively taken over the market left by both companies.
See Also: Winair Kicks off 2024 with More Routes and Frequencies in the Caribbean
Four Turbulent Years for LIAT 1974 Ltd
In July 2020, LIAT (acronym for Leeward Islands Air Transport) suspended its operations.
The then Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, a state that was one of the majority shareholders in the company, along with Barbados, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, had announced that the company would be liquidated after reporting significant losses in 2019 and facing the consequences of the pandemic and border closures.
Judicial authorities appointed an administrator and tasked them with restructuring the company and clearing its accounts. On November 30 of that same year, the airline with the largest presence in the Lesser Antilles resumed operations, albeit on a temporary basis and with a reduced schedule.
Founded in 1956 in partnership with BWIA (now Caribbean Airlines), LIAT expanded rapidly to different islands in the region and provided a new transportation alternative for its communities.
Over the years, it operated various aircraft, with its latest acquisitions being five ATR 42-600 and five ATR 72-600. Previously, it operated Dash 8-100 and 8-300, Beechcraft Bonanza, Twin Otter DHC 6, Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, Embraer 110, Hawker Siddeley HS 748, and even its only passenger jet, a BAC One-Eleven in the early 70s.
In its heyday, it connected more than 20 destinations in the Eastern Caribbean, Venezuela, and Guyana with over 3000 monthly flights.
