Valley: Govt not micro-managing BWIA

TRADE and Indus-try Minister Ken Valley said Government is not micro-managing daily operations at national airline BWIA. Contacted yesterday about measures being taken by BWIA to deal with flight delays and numerous other problems faced by passengers over the Christmas period, Valley said he had no comment to make on those matters. The minister explained that Government does not get involved in the day-to-day operations of BWIA and that responsibility belongs to the airline’s board of directors and its management.

Valley reiterated that BWIA’s Board of Directors has been given a  one-month time frame to submit a strategic plan that would ensure the airline’s viability, to the Government. Prime Minister Patrick Manning said BWIA’s current Board could be replaced if it was unable to do so. Valley expressed optimism that BWIA’s Board would come up with such a plan. BWIA’s communications manager Dionne Ligoure said most of the problems which had affected the airline’s operations over the Christmas season had been rectified and things were now running “very smoothly.”  Ligoure said the airline was very sorry for the inconveniences which passengers had to endure but “the situation was not unique to BWIA.” She said several other airlines operating in the region experienced similar problems over the Christmas season.