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  • 11 months ago
Safety and good service are being trumped as aspects passengers can look forward to, as the rebranded LIAT 2020 is now operating in this country.

The inaugural flight landed at Piarco International Airport on Thursday morning, receiving the customary water cannon salute.

Reporter Alicia Boucher and cameraman Devon Parker bring you the highlights.
Transcript
00:00LIA 2020 is officially operating in TNT again and its inaugural flight from Antigua landed
00:11at 9.30am, bringing with it government, aviation and other officials from that country along
00:17with its chief executive officer Hafsa Abdul-Salam.
00:20I'm affirming and I'm standing here and saying that we're committed to offering safe and
00:27reliable service. I will uphold the high standards that you expect and obviously that you deserve
00:32as well.
00:33She says LIA 2020's presence in TNT, apart from fostering more competition, will create
00:38job opportunities as the airline will be seeking to employ staff. Abdul-Salam isn't shying
00:44away from addressing the problems of the past.
00:46The old LIA acronym, and this is now then linking back to the history of LIA, leave
00:52island any time. And some people may perceive that as, or have perceived it as a negative.
00:57For us, new layout, new management, new branding, it means we'll be available to fly you when
01:05you want to fly.
01:06The airline, which has opened 12 routes since it commenced operations on August 6, 2024,
01:13will land on the runaway of the airport in Jamaica on Friday. Minister of Tourism, Culture
01:18and the Arts, Randall Mitchell, calls it a significant milestone for TNT, creating
01:22greater accessibility, which will boost travel and tourism.
01:26LIA 20 will bring an additional 250 seats daily into the Piaco International Airport,
01:35equating to approximately 1,750 seats per week. And this service links Port of Spain
01:43to key Caribbean destinations, including St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, St. Vincent
01:49and Grenada.
01:50The minister says the Caribbean region provides the second highest number of travellers to
01:54this country, with the first being the United States of America. He highlights statistics
02:00during the operations of LIA 1974 in the country in 2017 and 2018.
02:07Visitors to Trinidad and Tobago from the Caribbean ranged from approximately 75,000 to 82,000
02:14persons annually, accounting for more than 20% of market share in visitor arrivals.
02:22Minister of Works and Transport, Rohan Sinanan, says LIA 2020's operations are part of the
02:26broader vision for an enhanced transportation network that would create economic resilience
02:32and sustainable development.
02:34He further indicates that TNT is engaging different airlines with the intentions of
02:38the country serving as a hub for connecting different regions, including the Middle East,
02:43Asia and Africa. Sinanan states that the country has held several international aviation conferences,
02:49including CAPA and CASUS.
02:51We have just been awarded the ACI conference in 2025, again another first for the English-speaking
03:00Caribbean.
03:01Minister Sinanan is also inviting airlines, including LIA 2020, to explore the possibility
03:06of tenancy at the Aeropark at Piaco International Airport.
03:10Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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