Regionally based airline should be leading the way

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Barbados is leading the charge for more air transport between the Caribbean and the African continent.

While Barbados and at least two countries on the African continent, namely Kenya and Ghana, have been forging greater ties and establishing trading and diplomatic relationships, this forging of closer relation is being stymied by the lack of viable air transportation. Barbados’ Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Noel Lynch is making the case for greater air transportation.

Speaking during a recent virtual discussion put on by the Culture division of the Prime Minister’s Office entitled, ‘Africans at home and abroad: Their experiences and problems faced’, Barbados’ Ambassador Noel Lynch, argued that a regionally based airline should be leading the way in building air transport between Africa and the region.

T&T HAS ONLY AIRLINE OPERATING IN THE REGION

According to Lynch, “right now, Barbados and many of its counterparts in the region do not own a single boat or aircraft and we have to rely on our former slave masters to carry out these flights between Barbados and Africa. To my mind, rather than signing memoranda of understanding between air carriers, I think the best idea would be for us in the Caribbean to actually invest in the flight; we need to fly our own planes with our own pilots”.

He stated that, currently, Trinidad and Tobago has the only airline operating in the region, “and I think if you want that direct airlink, rather than having to go through London or some other city in Europe, we should talk to the people in the Caribbean who have planes and who can fly them”.

Barbados now negotiating with at least three Africa-based airlines

Barbados’ Ambassador to Ghana, Phil Phillips, noted that the Barbados Government has already begun negotiating with at least three Africa-based airlines, but added that “we have to put matters into context, because at this time we are coming out of the pandemic, are presently experiencing high fuel prices and many of the world’s economies are not growing at high rates”.

Philips noted that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley had talked about establishing a Caribbean Airlines flight from Trinidad to Ghana adding that ocean freight was another area being considered.

One of the other participants in the discussion, Paulette Elliott, who is based in the United Kingdom, suggested a trial run before signing any agreements with airlines.

CALL FOR GREATER DIPLOMATIC TIES BETWEEN AFRICA AND BARBADOS

“There are a number of airlines based in Africa that fly directly to destinations in the Americas; why not let them use Barbados as a hub to connect to the other Caribbean countries,” Elliot questioned, arguing that, beyond that, the region should consider having some direct flights as a ‘trial run’ and then do a feasibility study to determine if it is practical.

On another matter, Madou Diagne, senior business development officer with the Africa Desk at Export Barbados, called for greater diplomatic ties between Africa and Barbados, given the fact that more Africans were coming to work and study on the island.

“While we have been developing trade relationships, we have not really done much in the area of diplomatic relations,” Diagne said.