LIAT

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leeward Islands Air Transport
IATA
LI		 ICAO
LIA		 Callsign
LIAT
Founded 1956-10-20 (as Leeward Islands Air Transport Services)[1]
Hubs VC Bird International Airport
Grantley Adams International Airport
Piarco International Airport
Fleet size 17
Destinations 22
Headquarters Antigua
Key people Mark Darby (CEO)
Jean Stewart Holder (Chairman)
Website: http://www.liat.com

LIAT is an airline based in St. John's, Antigua. It operates high-frequency interisland scheduled services serving 22 destinations in the Caribbean. The airline's main base is VC Bird International Airport, Antigua and Barbuda, with hubs at Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados and Piarco International Airport, Trinidad and Tobago.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

[citation needed]

Leeward Islands Air Transport Services was founded on 20 September 1956 and began flying with a single Piper Apache operating between Antigua and Montserrat. With the acquisition in 1957 of 75% of the airline by the larger, better known BWIA, LIAT was able to expand to other Caribbean destinations and to obtain new airplane types, such as the Beechcraft Bonanza and de Havilland Heron airplanes. Hawker Siddeley HS 748's came in 1965, due to the airline's decision to phase out the Herons.

LIAT wasn't always an all propeller engined airline: after Court Line obtained the airline in the early 1970s, LIAT entered the jet age, using BAC One Elevens for their longer Caribbean routes, as well as Britten-Norman types. In 1973, LIAT provided maintenance work for another Caribbean airline, Carib Aviation; these services were suspended when Carib Aviation decided to hire their own mechanics in 1974.

Court Line went bankrupt soon after acquiring LIAT, and the BAC-One Elevens were gone from the LIAT fleet as well. In order to keep the airline flying, the governments of 11 Caribbean nations stepped in and bought the airline. The jets were replaced with a series of smaller airplanes, such as the Twin Otters.

The 1980s were a decade of growth for the airline: by 1986, many daily flights were operated to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as other regions that the airline had never flown to. Faster Dash 8-100 airplanes were bought, to reduce flighttimes system-wide.

In November 1995, LIAT was partially privatized, to save it from bankruptcy once again. LIAT also began to fly the 50 seater -300 series of the Dash 8.

LIAT's Pilots are represented by the Leeward Islands Air Line Pilots' Association (LIALPA), which is affiliated to IFALPA. LIALPA is also part of the regional Caribbean Air Line Pilots' Association (C-ALPA).

[edit] Merger

In January 2007 the airline announced an intended merger with Caribbean Star Airlines, and they entered into a commercial alliance, involving the flying of a combined schedule. All flights are now marketed as LIAT, although the airlines continued to operate separately using their own air operators certificates, until after completion of the merger. The merged airline will use the LIAT brand and the marketing slogan "The Star of the Caribbean", with a merged fleet expected to standardise on the Bombardier Dash 8 Q300[2]. However in June 2007, the Share Holder Governments of Barbados, Antigua and St. Vincent gave the go ahead to the Board of Directors to Buy Out Caribbean Star instead. LIAT purchased Caribbean Star Airlines on the 24 October 2007 and the five DHC-8 aircraft have been transferred to LIAT.

The airline is owned by 7 Caribbean governments, with 3 being the Major shareholders (73.4%), privately held (10%) and employees (5.3%). It has 673 employees (at March 2007).[2]

[edit] Destinations

LIAT operates the following international scheduled services (at March 2008)[citation needed]:

A LIAT Dash 8-311 landing at St. Maarten.
A LIAT Dash 8-311 landing at St. Maarten.
A LIAT Dash 8-103 at holding at point at St. Maarten (awaiting a US Airways B757).
A LIAT Dash 8-103 at holding at point at St. Maarten (awaiting a US Airways B757).

[edit] Fleet

The LIAT fleet includes the following aircraft (at January 2008):[citation needed]

LIAT Airlines Fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers
(Economy)		 Notes
Bombardier Dash 8-100 3
 (37)
Bombardier Dash 8-300 14
 (50)

[edit] Previously operated

The LIAT retired fleet includes the following aircraft:


[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook, 3rd, Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 0-9653993-8-9. 
  2. ^ a b c "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International, 2007-04-03, p. 105. 
v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation
General
Military
Accidents/incidents
Records