ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA June 9, 2017 - The Management of LIAT continues to work towards resolving the current impasse with The Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA). LIAT denies reports that it has "abandoned” its pilots and left them stranded throughout the network LIAT operates 10 ATR aircraft, the smaller ATR 42 which seats 48 passengers and the larger ATR 72 which seats 68 passengers. By refusing to fly the ATR72 on the morning of June 7th, several aircraft and passengers were delayed at points of departure, including Trinidad, St Vincent, Tortola, and Guyana. The company can confirm that some pilots found themselves away from the base as a result of the current action by LIALPA. The company was therefore forced to transfer other pilots to these locations to fly the aircraft to move passengers impacted by the delays and cancellations. In this situation, the company’s priority remains to transport our loyal and paying passengers. LIAT's acting CEO Julie Reifer-Jones stated that "The company remains committed to meeting the needs of its pilots away from the base while acting on the instructions of the company through its Operations Control Centre." LIAT is calling on LIALPA to let common sense prevail and to return the operations of the company to normalcy so we can serve the region. -
