PM Manning: Cabinet consensus reached on BWIA

AFTER nearly two and a half hours of deliberation at Whitehall yesterday evening, Cabinet reached a consensus on the fate of beleaguered national airline BWIA. However speaking to reporters after yesterday’s special Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Patrick Manning was tight-lipped about what exactly that decision was.  “We came to a consensus,” he said. The Prime Minister said the Inter-Ministerial Committee formed to deal with BWIA will meet at 8 am today with the airline’s government directors at Whitehall and then meet separately with the company’s other directors and managers. Manning stated that once these meetings are completed, Government will hold a press conference and give a comprehensive statement on what it intends to do about BWIA.

Asked if this meant Government was willing to provide additional monies to BWIA, Manning said he preferred to reserve comment until the news conference. Questioned whether Government would assist BWIA in retrieving two of its Boeing 737 aircraft that were recently seized by lessors International Leasing Finance Corporation, the Prime Minister replied: “That is a matter for BWIA.” Manning said full details will be given by Planning Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who is chairing the Committee in the absence of Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith. Other members of the Committee include Ministers Ken Valley, Colm Imbert and Conrad Enill. Asked whether the duration of the Cabinet meeting meant there was division over how to resolve the BWIA issue, Manning described the discussions as “very amicable” and reiterated that a consensus was reached.