ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, March 30 2015 – The major shareholders of regional airline LIAT are meeting in an emergency session Monday following comments made by Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Sunday.
Browne, labelling plans for a new airline to compete with the regional carrier, as “treason,” said he will demand the resignation of David Evans, the chief executive officer of the Antigua-based airline if it is turns out that Evans orchestrated such the plans
“The comments made by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda over the weekend, have been brought to the attention of the Chairman of the Board of LIAT and the Chairman of the Shareholder Governments and these matters are currently under discussion amongst the major shareholders,” the airline said in a one-sentence statement.
The document, allegedly authored at LIAT senior management, proposes that a Barbados air carrier be established with its own Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and Route Licensing Authorisation.
The new company would effectively replace the majority of existing LIAT services throughout the region and would seek to develop new markets.
“I will be calling in Mr. Evans very shortly to discuss with him exactly where that plan emanated from. He needs to tell me as the Prime Minister of this country where than plan emanated from. And if it is that he hatched that plan on his own, you can be sure that as Prime Minister of this country, as a shareholder of LIAT that I will be asking for his resignation,” Browne told listeners to the privately owned ZDK radio.
“I’m told that the proposal was discussed at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors but the proposal was actually turned down because of the strong objection of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda on the issue.
“If it is that Mr. Evans took it on his own to prepare that proposal for consideration by the government of Barbados, then as far as I am concerned, the proposal to cannibalize LIAT is certainly an act of treason against LIAT and obviously an act of hostility against the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda,” he added.
