标签： Saint Lucia

State-owned Caribbean Airlines has moved to ax multiple underperforming regional routes after a failed 2023 expansion into the Eastern Caribbean left the carrier with more than TT$128 million in cumulative losses, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour has confirmed in remarks to the country’s Lower House.

The expansion initiative, greenlit by the previous government and overseen by the airline’s former board of directors, was originally framed as a transformative project to boost cross-Caribbean connectivity, lift regional tourism volumes and strengthen intra-Caribbean trade ties. But from the start, the project failed to deliver on the optimistic commercial projections that were used to justify its launch, Zakour said, with actual passenger demand and revenue falling far short of forecasts that did not align with real market conditions.

To address the growing financial drain, the airline’s current leadership established a specialized route oversight committee in 2025 to conduct a full top-to-bottom review of all new routes launched under the 2023 expansion, assessing each route’s operational performance, profitability and alignment with the airline’s long-term strategic goals. The review concluded that the majority of these new routes were launched without sufficient commercial due diligence, and had generated consistent, heavy losses for the carrier from their first day of operation.

Zakour detailed the network adjustments already rolled out by the airline to stem ongoing losses. The direct Jamaica-Fort Lauderdale route was permanently discontinued on November 2, 2025, after racking up US$7.2 million in losses. The Trinidad-Puerto Rico route followed, ending service on January 10, 2026, after accumulating US$4.92 million in red ink.

Additional cuts are set to take effect on June 1, 2026. The airline will exit the Dominica and St Kitts markets entirely, which had recorded losses of US$730,000 and US$1.65 million respectively as of April 2026. The non-stop Guyana-Suriname route will also be discontinued, after posting losses of US$1.24 million. For services to Martinique and Guadeloupe, weekly flights will be cut in half from four to two, after the routes posted losses of US$1.23 million and US$1.86 million each.

Altogether, the affected routes have generated a combined total of US$18.84 million in losses as of April 2026. Zakour emphasized that the route cuts and service reductions are a necessary corrective step to turn unsustainable losses into operational savings and shore up the airline’s long-term financial stability.

To minimize disruption for travelers, passengers holding bookings for dates after the scheduled discontinuation dates will be contacted directly by Caribbean Airlines or through their booked travel agents. Affected customers will be offered alternative flight arrangements where available, full refunds for any unused portion of their tickets, or conditional future travel credits that can be applied to future bookings.

Looking ahead, the airline is finalizing a new codeshare partnership with another regional carrier that will allow remaining customers to access a broader regional network through coordinated flight schedules and integrated ticketing, filling gaps left by the withdrawn routes. Zakour added that Caribbean Airlines will refocus its efforts on core priorities: improving operational reliability, upgrading customer service standards, advancing fleet modernization projects, and implementing disciplined route planning that is rooted in clear, data-driven financial criteria going forward.

More than 140 workers at the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) are set to benefit from a cumulative 10% wage increase rolled out across three years, after a landmark collective bargaining agreement was struck between the National Workers Union (NWU) and NIC management. The pay raise will be implemented in incremental stages, with a 3% hike kicking off in the first year, a further 3% increase in the second year, and a final 4% adjustment in the third year of the deal. All wage adjustments will be retroactively applied, with back pay calculated from January 2025 onward, when the agreement officially enters into force. Beyond base wage adjustments, negotiators from both sides are still in active discussions to finalize a separate gratuity transfer framework, which would add another layer of financial security for participating NIC employees. The newly reached deal also expands and improves a suite of supplementary employee benefits, addressing longstanding requests from unionized staff. Key enhancements include elevated travel allowances for work-related trips, structured long-service recognition bonuses for employees who have served the organization for 7, 10, and 20 years, more transparent guidelines for overtime compensation, and updated reimbursement policies for delayed issuance of required work uniforms. The agreement came to fruition after multiple rounds of productive negotiations between NWU representatives and NIC leadership, with both sides making compromises to reach a mutually acceptable outcome. In line with national labor regulations, the deal is scheduled to undergo an official signing ceremony, which will be attended by the Labour Commissioner from the national Department of Labour to validate the process. NWU General Secretary Johann Harewood confirmed that both parties have committed to ongoing monitoring of the agreement throughout its three-year term. This oversight framework will ensure that all terms are implemented as agreed, and allow for timely adjustments if any implementation issues arise. The collective bargaining agreement will remain in effect from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027, bringing three years of wage stability and improved working conditions for NIC’s unionized workforce.

A major redevelopment project at the Castries Vendors Arcade, a key tourism retail hub adjacent to Saint Lucia’s main cruise port, has left nearly 120 local vendors displaced, sparking mixed reactions as the head of the island’s vendors association commends the prime minister’s commitment to compensation while pushing for fair, inclusive relief and thoughtful relocation planning.

The redevelopment forms a core component of a broader port upgrade initiative delivered through a public-private partnership between the government of Saint Lucia and Global Ports Holding. The project is designed to modernize the island’s primary cruise terminal and surrounding tourism infrastructure, with plans to completely rebuild the outdated vendors arcade to better serve both visitors and local sellers long-term. But the immediate phase of the work launched earlier this week, when demolition crews moved in to raze the existing structure, requiring all operating vendors to vacate their stalls in less than two weeks.

While vendors received formal advance notice of the vacation timeline, the short window has created significant disruption for sellers, 90% of whom rely entirely on tourism-facing sales to make a living. Speaking to local outlet St. Lucia Times, Peter “Ras Ipa” Isaac, president of the Saint Lucia Vendors Association, said he was encouraged by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s public pledge to provide financial compensation to displaced sellers, a move he says aligned with his expectations of the leader.

“I was expecting something like that because I know the Prime Minister. He has a place in his heart for little people, people like us who are struggling,” Isaac explained. “I must say bravo to him because if he didn’t react in the way that he reacted in terms of coming out and saying that the vendors would be compensated, I would be disappointed.”

But Isaac’s praise comes with pointed questions about equitable treatment and practical planning for the dozens of sellers affected by the project. He pointed out that out of the 115 vendors displaced by the arcade closure, only 44 temporary stalls will be available in the first phase of relocation, leaving more than half of sellers without a designated space to operate while construction proceeds. Project delays, rooted in ongoing global supply chain disruptions and international conflicts, have pushed back the completion of new temporary facilities, creating uncertainty for sellers who have already lost their primary source of income.

Many vendors also incurred unexpected costs to clear out their stalls in the required 12-day window, after investing thousands of dollars in permanent fixtures including shutters, display counters and storage units over years of operation. “People had to break those things down and hire transport to carry them home. We had very little time to do that,” Isaac said.

The association leader also outlined the broader economic vulnerabilities facing local vendors, who already struggle with seasonal fluctuations in cruise tourism and unfair competition from on-board retail operations. “Sometimes in the off-season there’s one ship a week, sometimes none,” he noted, adding that cruise lines often sell identical locally-made souvenirs to passengers at lower prices than street vendors can offer, siphoning off critical revenue.

Despite these challenges, Isaac emphasized that small-scale vendors are a foundational pillar of Saint Lucia’s economy, contributing to the island’s GDP alongside other small tourism-focused businesses. When combined with taxi operators, minibus drivers, local farmers and small manufacturers, these small businesses account for roughly 8% of the country’s total gross domestic product. “The moment a vendor makes five dollars, that money goes straight back into the economy,” he said. “They buy bread, take a bus home, pay bills and support other businesses.”

Looking at past policy interventions, Isaac pointed to successful support measures implemented by previous governments, including a two-year rent freeze enacted by former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, and targeted rental discounts approved by former Castries Town Clerk Lambert Nelson during extended slow tourism periods. Currently, vendors pay roughly $138 per month in rent after the addition of value-added tax, a cost that many already struggle to cover during off-peak seasons.

To address the current displacement crisis, Isaac has put forward two key proposals: either relocate all displaced vendors to available unused space in the nearby Castries Market building for the duration of construction, or ensure that every displaced seller receives equal compensation, regardless of whether they have any outstanding rent arrears. “I think everyone who’s in there, whether they owe rent or not, should be compensated,” he said.

Isaac also raised concerns about unconfirmed reports that the government plans to raise rents once vendors move into the newly rebuilt arcade. Local sellers have pushed for a two-year rent freeze after relocation to help them recover from the disruption of construction, and Isaac called for a fresh start for all vendors once the project is complete. “We welcome what the Prime Minister is saying. That’s a step in the right direction,” he noted. “But I think good sense must prevail that people must go into that place with a clean slate and start afresh.”