LIAT20 CEO Hafsa Abdulsalam said the airline will no longer be known as “Leaving Island Any Time” as the airline was relaunched under new management.

She said the airline was committed to offering safe and reliable service and will uphold the high standards the Caribbean and TT expected and deserved.

She was speaking at the welcome reception for the inaugural LIAT20 flight to Trinidad on December 19 at the departure lounge of the Piarco International Airport.

“The old ways Liat was known has been perceived as a negative. For us, new Liat, new management, new branding, it means we will be available to fly you when you want to fly. When we commit to a time and a service, we will deliver that service to you. So ‘leaving island’ means you will ‘leave island’ at the time we promised you will travel.”

Abdulhasam said the airline’s mission was to be able to connect the north to the south. She said so far the three major hubs are Antigua, St Vincent and Guyana.

“Connecting the islands is not just a service. It’s a lifeline that not only binds our families, but unites families and creates job opportunities directly and indirectly. With any flight coming into any route that we open, especially in TT, it is job opportunities for the direct staff we’re seeking to employ and obviously it trickles down to the economy as well.

“We’re seeking to deliver on the vision of a Caribbean where travel is seamless, local businesses grow and prosper and every flight strengthens the bonds that make us not just neighbours, but families. It is a future we are building together where every island, community and individual feels the impact of our shared progress as an airline and our collective aspirations.”

The regional carrier is being reintroduced as a joint venture between the Antigua and Barbuda government (30 per cent shareholder) and Air Peace Caribbean (70 per cent shareholder).

Abdulhasam said the service offered by the airline is already changing the service landscape for customers of other airlines, as competitors are now offering better service in response to LIAT’s entry to the market.

COO Kidus Melkamu said the airline viewed itself as a service provider rather than a business that needed to make a profit.

“The airline industry is very expensive, very regulated, very dynamic. We take it as a service organisation and with service there is no limits. You’re not satisfied, every day you wake up to give more and better service.”

He said the airline was very concerned about safety, as planes were becoming the biggest means of transport worldwide.

“At LIAT20, our target is achieving the highest level of safety, so that people can travel from place to place to meet family, do business and take vacations safely. We are proud to establish our service and a safe airline. Come fly with us, you will love our service and you will want to come back.”

Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Randall Mitchell said LIAT’s return to the Caribbean will directly affect TT.

“LIAT2020 will bring an additional 250 seats daily