(Antigua Sun) – Several airline officials have expressed concerns over rumours of a possible merger between Caribbean Airlines and regional airline LIAT.

This is expected to be done once economic and political integration takes places between Trinidad & Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

It is still not clear as to how far or if any negotiations have gone on between the two airlines.
According to an article published in Trinidad’s Newsday, this initiative is outlined in the second volume of the TT-OECS integration initiative report.

The document states that with the establishment of a single economy and appropriate political integration, the governments of the OECS and TT “should create a single air space for the eight countries” and “adopt a unified air transportation policy.” The creation of a single air space means that bilateral air service agreements between individual countries would no longer apply.

“It was with enormous surprise that I learned yesterday our politicians have decided that Caribbean Airlines and LIAT are to be merged,” one official, who wishes to remain anonymous, said in a letter to the Antigua Sun. “Since Antigua is the most affected by the change in LIAT’s status, I seriously wonder at what is going on here.”

When contacted, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves clarified the situation, explaining that the idea is far from being materialised. He said negotiations have been going on between the shareholder governments in respect to having functional co-operation.