Cut rate charters killing BWIA

THE EDITOR: Piarco must be the busiest airport in these parts, the reason being the amount of charters flying in and out of this country. To me, it looks like dozens of planes every week, an amazing number for a little country like this. Verily, the skies are alive with the sound of charters. At one time, two and three charters a week used to come in for different organisations. Not anymore. Now, people are bringing in charters every day. They operating like commercial airlines. So naturally the competition is really severe. Cut rates are the norm. This is wonderful for the public because they can fly almost anywhere at any time at any cost. The organisation taking all the licks is Bee Wee. No wonder our national airline is catching its “nen-men”.

Even with a buoyant travel market, it has reached a stage where too many seats are chasing relatively few customers. And because some charters are cutting rates, those charter airlines are moving through the market like a scythe, harvesting hundreds of passengers each week, while Bee Wee gets thinner and weaker. Those in the know, say that now is “open skies” time. You can fly in any number of planes you want. And if they are American owned, then no damn dog bark. So what are we going to do? Must we lay back and let our national airline be massacred?

The government and the civil aviation authorities need to study their heads real good, real fast. Either that, or we can organise a State funeral for Bee Wee and invite everybody to come, with a big send off for the coffin at Piarco with charter operators as pall bearers. Those operating the most charters will be up front. Come, come gentlemen, this situation is unacceptable. Open skies or no open skies, something has to be done to save Bee Wee from the swarm. Either that, or the Goliath consisting of charters will kill little David Bee Wee.

SAMUEL HOBBETT
Tobago