Imbert: No decision yet on more Tobago flights

In making this disclosure yesterday, the minister reiterated that the domestic airfare will remain at $200 pending a decision by Cabinet.

Asked whether consideration has been given to increasing the number of airlines currently operating on the domestic airbridge, Imbert replied, "No. Not at this time."

The airbridge is primarily served by Tobago Express, but the airline’s service has been affected periodically by pilot sick-outs and other problems within recent months.

These problems have resulted in the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT) having to increase sailings of its ferries to assist Tobago Express. National airline BWIA has also assisted Tobago Express through the provision of additional flights.

Tobago Express flights were briefly grounded around June when one of its planes made an emergency landing at Piarco International Airport due to mechanical problems with its landing gear.

Earlier this year, Government was able to ease the burden on the Tobago airbridge slightly through the wetleasing of two ATR-72 aircraft from Danish company Cimba Air but that arrangement ended around April.

On reports that a decision had been taken to raise the domestic airfare from $200 to $400, Imbert said, "The matter of a new airfare to Tobago has not yet been considered by the Cabinet, which has to determine the level of subsidy that will be given.

This matter may take one to two weeks to determine."

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London said he would not support an increased domestic airfare without a simultaneous improvement in the levels of service on the airbridge.