Evidence that the free movement of people and goods has become increasingly important to both the development of the respective countries of the region as well as to realizing the collective benefits to be derived from their shared membership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would appear to be pushing the region with greater haste towards a breakthrough in the quest for upgraded intra-regional air travel.
Earlier this week it was announced that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is to throw its weight behind the regional airlift issue through its support for a study, a hoped-for precursor to a solution to the long-standing lack of adequate resources to allow for an efficient regional air transport regime. The announcement is certain to be welcomed across the member states of CARICOM, which have long been bemoaning what they say is the impact which a reliable intra-regional air travel regime is having on the pace of progress towards the actualization of the ambitions of the regional movement. The ambition for a reliable airline service, shared by CARICOM member countries is, however, still some distance from a ‘done detail,’ according to CDB Vice President, Isaac Solomon.
The senior CDB official is quoted in an article, published in the Monday January 23 issue of the Jamaica Gleaner, as saying that a “critical mass of political will” on the issue is yet to emerge among CARICOM member countries, though he added that the Bank was “encouraged” by the fact that “at least seven governments” had approached the institution last year lobbying for a study to begin, a development which he described as “the start of a process.” What had always been a less than reliable intra-regional air travel infrastructure had been further reduced on account of the collapse of LIAT. The CDC, it seems, is prepared to back a long-term resolution, an eventuality which, it says, would require, among other things, “a system that addresses the cost of transportation, regulatory issues around transport, and the bottlenecks that hamper seamless movement from country to country.” The Jamaica Gleaner quotes CDB President Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon as saying that the Bank views dependable and cost-effective air transportation services as essential for the transformation of several of the region’s economies.
At a recent media conference, the CDB President was quoted as saying that “to safeguard the region’s future, governments need to take decisive and integrated action to reform the air transportation operating environment.” Dr. Leon reportedly itemized the various hurdles that would have to be crossed on the way to the creation of a reliable intra-regional air transport service, including the preparation of a list of assets required for the undertaking, the financing of those assets, as well as the legal framework and environment in which those assets would be deployed. In addition to the physical requisites necessary for the establishment of a regional airline, Dr. Leon also reportedly alluded to the “physical arrangements…that would say we are all benefitting from this.” “Networks cannot exist in segments…..they have to exist in their entirety, and so connectivity of a network becomes a global public good,” the CDB President is also quoted as saying.
Setting aside the various intra-regional socio-economic considerations, including the increasing need for physical interaction to ventilate issues relating to the future of intra-regional co-operation on various issues, including those that have to do with intra-regional trade, food security and climate change, improved travel among CARICOM member countries would open up opportunities for long delayed initiatives that can serve to deepen the regional movement.
