(Barbados Today) West Africa’s largest airline is to take a majority stake in beleaguered regional air carrier LIAT under a plan by the Antigua and Barbuda government to launch a new carrier.
Confirming the plan on Monday, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne revealed that Air Peace, owned by Nigerian lawyer and businessman Allen Onyema, is expected to have a 70 per cent stake in LIAT 2020. The twin-island nation will own the other 30 per cent.
“This airline will be operated strictly on a commercial basis. It will not be a regional bus that will be operating on unprofitable routes. If indeed it has to operate unprofitable routes, there have to be some revenue guarantees,” Browne asserted.
“So, we are looking forward to the eventual operationalisation of this new LIAT, LIAT 2020, and we are committed to do all we can to ensure its viability and sustainability.”
Browne said his government was in the process of establishing the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for LIAT 2020.
