00:00Craven Airlines is actively working towards concluding a codeshare agreement with a regional airline partner.
00:07Once finalized and improved, the agreement will provide customers with access to a wider network of destinations
00:13through coordinated schedules, seamless connections, and integrated ticketing arrangements.
00:19The announcement by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour in the House of Representatives
00:25about Trinidad and Tobago's state-owned airline and a major change in its operations
00:30regarding an expansion in the Eastern Caribbean it embarked upon in 2023.
00:37Recognizing the need to safeguard the long-term viability of the carrier,
00:41the current Board of Directors, acting responsibly, established a Route Oversight Committee in 2025
00:48to conduct a comprehensive review of route performance, profitability, and strategic alignment.
00:55That review has confirmed that several routes launched under the 2023 expansion program
01:01were introduced without adequate commercial justification
01:05and have generated sustained financial losses for the company since inception.
01:10The Transport Minister told the lower house that Carl discontinued the Jamaica-Fort Lauderdale service
01:16from November 2nd, 2025, which he said had generated U.S. $7.2 million in losses,
01:23as well as the Trinidad-Puerto Rico service from January 10, 2026,
01:29which he said generated U.S. $4.92 million in losses.
01:34To stem the ongoing losses, several other adjustments to the network are scheduled to take effect
01:40from June 1, 2026.
01:43Withdrawal from the Dominica market, which has incurred an overall loss of U.S. $0.73 million
01:49as of April 2026.
01:52Withdrawal from the St. Kitts market, which has incurred an overall loss of U.S. $1.65 million
01:58as of April 2026.
02:00The Transport Minister said it is all part of Caribbean Airlines' network improvement program.
02:07Discontinuation of the non-stop Guyana to Sturinam service,
02:10which has incurred an overall loss of U.S. $1.24 million as of April 2026.
02:16Finally, service frequencies to Martinique and Godloop are to be reduced from four weekly flights to two.
02:23These routes generated losses of U.S. $1.23 million Martinique and U.S. $1.86 million Godloop, respectively.
02:31Minister Zoukou then outlined what this means for Caribbean Airlines.
02:37The combined loss sustained on these routes as of April 2026 is $18.84 million U.S. dollars
02:44or in excess of TT-128 million.
02:49The discontinuation and service adjustments to the routes would allow these losses to be converted
02:54into operational savings and improve financial stability.
02:57Customers holding bookings on affected services beyond the discontinuation dates
03:03will be contacted directly by Caribbean Airlines or through their travel agents.
03:09Affected passengers will be offered reaccommodation of alternative regional services where feasible
03:15via Caribbean Airlines and partner connections,
03:19offered a full refund of the unused portion of the ticket
03:22or retention of the ticket value as a future travel credit subject to fare conditions.
03:29Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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