We must develop new markets: Tom Yew

The new strategies being employed by national airline BWIA as it looks to sustainable development, involves a hand-in-hand approach with the Government, which in fact, must play a vital role in such development. This is the view of the airline’s interim chief executive officer, Nelson Tom Yew.

In speaking to the Newsday following the launch of the airline’s latest initiative — twice weekly service to the Dominican Republic — Tom Yew explained that this was another aspect of the recent push by BWIA, in conjunction with the Government, to inaugurate services to destinations outside its long-held markets. Tom Yew said, “BWIA’s route development strategy recognises the need to look beyond its traditional markets in the Caribbean, North America and Europe and the airline has therefore placed emphasis and focus on diversifying its route structure. “Our objective is to identify new revenue streams through, inter alia, pioneering routes where economically feasible and creating new spheres of influence to complement the maturing routes in our existing network,” Tom Yew added “Trinidad and Tobago’s strategic proximity to Central and South America and the wider Caribbean,” he continued, “presents the airline with a unique opportunity for route expansion in an area that is either underserved on a direct basis or not served at all.

“The new routing patterns identified between Trinidad and Tobago and countries such as the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Cuba, are new starts, but potentially can be very lucrative and will contribute substantially over time to BWIA’s return to viability,” Tom Yew explained. He said, “In this regard, the financial support being provided by the government in the developmental stages will go a long way in ensuring long-term sustainability of these routes.” Touching on the airline’s relationship with the Government regarding the development of the new routes, Tom Yew said, “air transport is one of the most important elements of international trade and recognition of this truism is reflected in Government’s policy to maintain a level of involvement in air transportation that is consistent with the need to guarantee, to some degree, the desired level and structure of air transport services.