Playing the blame game?

The Editor: Could you please ask the Minister of Transport to clarify his statement that “BWEE and Tobago Express” missed a deadline in September, causing Trinidad and Tobago not to regain its FAA Category One status? One was of the belief that FAA classification was based solely on the system of safety oversight implemented by the relevant government agency in question, in this case the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and not the airport or any flag carrying airline. 

If the Minister insists on blaming BWEE, then BWEE must answer to the public. After all, hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars were only recently pumped into the airline, which claimed that Category two status was hurting its bottom line, and restoration to Category One would open new routes into the US.  Is it that the airline is now shooting itself in the foot?  Is it that more of our tax dollars will be needed to support BWEE’s less care attitude of its own survival?  This is unacceptable. However, if it is the case of BWEE not being liable, then the Minister is playing the Blame Game once more, whether to cover his Ministry’s incompetence, and this too is unacceptable.

WAYNE   JAGGENAUTH
Loughborough University
England UK