The Chief Executive officer of LIAT Air Hafsah Abdulsalam, says the regional carrier is accelerating its international expansion plans by confirming new flights into Panama, Belize, and Colombia.
Hafsah Abdulsalam
She also confirmed the potential for flights into Africa as part of its long-term strategy.
‘We will be operating flights into Panama with the same aircraft so it’s all subject to where we receive the aircraft but this is definitely in our sights, in our plans and so those are the additional routes we’ll be seeking to open up. We’ve got plans to fly into Colombia and, as you know, we’ve got Belize on the works,’ Abdulsalam stated.
The CEO emphasized the strategic importance of establishing a strong regional foundation before the company launches any long-haul international flights.
The immediate plan is to strengthen the regional network and eye improvements in Liat Air’s service
Concerning the African venture, Abdulsalam says Liat Air is shoring up its resources on this side of the Atlantic first, although Africa is in the long-term strategy.
Part of those plans include a stronger alliance with Spartan Air Peace.
The airline is looking to strengthen that relationship a little bit more where they establish an interline arrangement, allowing persons seeking to buy a ticket through Liat and fly on Air Peace 11.
Liat Air is also currently engaged in discussions with several international carriers to establish partnerships that will offer seamless travel options for passengers.
These interline arrangements would allow their passengers to purchase tickets connecting them to destinations far beyond the region.
Meanwhile, the Toronto market in Canada is also being actively explored as a near-term possibility.
This would necessitate the introduction of larger aircraft into the fleet. However, direct flights to the United States remain off the table until the eastern Caribbean region successfully regains its Category 1 aviation status, Abdulsalam stated
The expansion is contingent on fleet growth, specifically the addition of a new narrow-body aircraft. Abdulsalam addressed challenges: ‘We do have a narrow-body aircraft that is due to join the fleet but obviously there’s still some issues around getting engines for the E2195 aircraft,’ she said.
‘There’s a global issue regarding engines and all that so once that is resolved that aircraft will also join the fleet so all things being equal. We should have a stability for at least seven aircrafts by next year,’ she noted.
Abdulsalam concluded that the airline’s expansion plans reflect its ongoing commitment to providing affordable and reliable connectivity for Caribbean travellers.