REDjet seeks intervention to start Jamaica, T&T flights

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Monday May 16, 2011 – REDjet is appealing to regional politicians to intervene in the matter that’s preventing the airline from flying to Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. It says it will also take whatever steps are available to it, to get flights to those countries off the ground.

The Barbados-based airline, which began flights to Guyana last week, said it was extremely disappointed for its passengers in Trinidad and Jamaica who “are again victims of protectionism in the homes of two of the regional state owned monopolies”.

REDjet last week accused Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines (CAL), which is in the midst of finalizing its merger with Air Jamaica, of trying to block it from entering the two markets.

“REDjet calls on the senior statesmen from Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados to step and in cut through the protectionism and red tape being used to prevent fair competition and ensure international agreements are honoured for taxpayers and consumers,” the airline said in a note posted on its Facebook page this morning.

“As a designated airline of Barbados, a country that for decades has provided route rights to Caribbean Airlines, BWIA and Air Jamaica, no excuse can be given for defending the interests of a monopoly airline and denying consumers competition and lower fares. After working for over a year in Trinidad & Tobago REDjet was advised in writing on the 20th December that we would be granted commercial licences but this promise has not been delivered.”

The low-cost carrier is still awaiting word from the authorities in Trinidad although it said it had been given assurances from Minister of Ttransport and Works Austin ‘Jack’ Warner, after meeting with him and other government officials on May 5, that he would submit a positive recommendation for REDjet to be given the nod, by way of note to Cabinet on May 12.

REDjet said it has heard nothing since and it remains in the dark.

In another note to customers yesterday, CEO and Chairman Ian Burns sought to assure that the company is “exhausting every resource within its power to ensure the commencement of services to all advertised routes”.

The airline last week told passengers booked on Trinidad flights that due to “political delays” in beyond its control, it cannot operate flights between Barbados to Trinidad until May 29. Flights to Jamaica have been pushed back to June 6.