LIAT

• VC Bird International
• Bridgetown
• Piarco

LIAT ( Leeward Islands Air Transport Service ) is a regional airline based in Coolidge, Antigua and Barbuda, at VC Bird Airport.

History

Leeward Islands Air Transport Service was founded on 20 September 1956 and began flight operations with a Piper Apache between Antigua and Montserrat. After the acquisition of 75 % of the larger and better known BWIA in 1957, the railway network could be extended to other Caribbean destinations and new machines, such as the Beechcraft Bonanza and de Havilland Heron be procured. In 1965, the Herons were replaced by Hawker Siddeley HS 748.

LIAT was not always a propeller aircraft airline. After the takeover by Court Line in November 1971, in addition to Britten- Norman BN LIAT -2 Islander also a leased BAC 1-11 on longer flights in the Caribbean one. From 1973 LIAT operate the aircraft maintenance for other Caribbean Airlines as Carib Aviation. The service ended in 1974, after Carib Airlines hired its own mechanic.

After the bankruptcy of Court Line in August 1974, the BAC 1-11 was returned to the leasing company. To keep the air traffic between the islands of upright, jumped the governments of 11 Caribbean countries and earned the airline. The scheduled flights were with smaller aircraft such as Twin Otters continued.

In the 80s of the last century, the company grew steadily. As of 1986, daily flights to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in other regions, which have never been served, included. These faster Dash 8-100 were purchased.

In January 2007, LIAT announced its intention to merge with Caribbean Star airline. Flight networks were merged and the flights marketed exclusively by LIAT. Otherwise, both companies were flying until complete fusion further their flight licenses, under the colors of LIAT. The types of aircraft were standardized on the Dash 8.

In June 2007 Carribian Star airline was taken over completely after the governments of Barbados, Antigua and St. Vincent approval of the purchase.

Ownership

Main shareholders are 11 countries in the Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago).

Destinations

LIAT operates a highly frequented route network between the Caribbean islands. The main base is VC Bird International Airport, Antigua and Barbuda, with hubs at the airport Grantley Adams in Barbados and Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and Tobago.

Fleet

As of July 2013, the fleet of 16 planes consisting of LIAT:

• 02 ATR 72-600
• 01 Bombardier Dash 8Q -100 ( cargo aircraft)
• 13 Bombardier Dash 8Q -300

Orders:

• 6 ATR 42-600
• 2 ATR 72-600

Transportation problems

For the acronym LIAT witty and cynical meanings in the Caribbean region emerged which address the delays, canceled flights and lost luggage:

• Luggage In Any Town ( luggage in any city )
• Leave Iceland Any Time ( rely on ' the island sometime )

In fact, delays and canceled flights are not uncommon. Even baggage sometimes do not arrive on the same flight at the destination airport, but this is often because if that flight in the small passenger aircraft no more luggage space capacity is available, so that pieces of luggage with later flights will be restocked.