00:00We're just one week to go before the bans hit the road.
00:05We as band leaders have been receiving scores of calls on a daily basis
00:10from masqueraders who have made their deposits for costumes
00:14and they do not have any way of getting to Tobago.
00:18President of Tobago's October Carnival, Dexter Sandy,
00:22is calling on the authorities to do better.
00:25This is something that we need to fix.
00:27This carnival is the main product that comes out of the island
00:33that brings the greatest tourism impact on the island in any calendar year
00:38and it's something that we have to get it right.
00:40If it is we're looking at this being a sustainable carnival,
00:43we need to get this right.
00:45So I think the time has reached for us as Toka, the band leaders,
00:49to sit at the table with the Tobago House of Assembly
00:53as well as Caribbean Airlines.
00:55And let's work on a strategy in terms of the airlift.
00:58We have seen where the ferry has already increased to four per day
01:03from Wednesday right down to the weekend.
01:06And we are still, as it is right now, the standard 12 flights a day.
01:10That is not good enough.
01:11Secretary with temporary responsibility for culture and antiquities,
01:17Secretary Zorisha Hackett, speaking during an update on Tobago's October Carnival 2025 on Thursday,
01:24also addressed the need for additional flights via the air bridge to Tobago from Caribbean Airlines.
01:31But not only masqueraders, the artists that need to perform in our events
01:36are also challenged by, you know, the lack of flights to get to the island.
01:41And I think that at this point we've done everything we can do
01:45and we're just hoping and praying for Caribbean Airlines to really answer the pleas and cries of us
01:51as Tobagoians, as an executive council, even more so, that we need these flights.
01:57I mean, even if we need to have the conversation about charters,
02:00that should probably even happen now, about actually having these flights.
02:04And, you know, it's a pity because for other periods on our calendar,
02:08we see flights becoming available for other activities.
02:11TV6 News contacted Caribbean Airlines on the matter, and they stated, quote,
02:17in anticipation of the Tobago October Carnival,
02:20Caribbean Airlines added extra domestic services between Trinidad and Tobago from October 20th to 27th.
02:29The additional flights opened for sale in September, end quote.
02:34TV6 News also contacted the Port Authority for an update for additional sailings
02:40for the October Carnival.
02:42The Port Authority official said additional sailings of the TNT Spirit for Tobago Carnival
02:48are on Wednesday, 22nd, October, 2025.
02:52This is in addition to the other sailings the Port Authority previously announced
02:57that were sold out within hours.
03:00Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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