Antigua and Barbuda PM renews call for OECS airline amid regional travel frustrations

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has renewed his call for the establishment of an Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) airline, arguing that unreliable regional air connections are hindering movement between member countries.

Browne made the appeal on Thursday night during a ceremony marking the change in chairmanship of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council in Dominica, where he spoke about the challenges he faced travelling to regional meetings.

“The need for an OECS airline is even more apropos today, recognising the frustrations of perpetual flight delays and cancellations among existing carriers,” Browne said.

The OECS comprises Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.

Browne said existing airlines operating in the region leave travellers “stranded daily,” recounting delays he experienced while travelling to Saint Lucia for the 51st Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit.

He said he missed the opening ceremony of the summit after spending six hours at the Barbados airport waiting for a flight to Saint Lucia.

“The wait time should have been one hour, but turned out to be six hours,” Browne said. “Even coming here to Dominica, even though we had a private charter, there were also delays. So we clearly have a problem when it comes to connecting OECS people.”

The Prime Minister warned that the situation could become more serious as some international carriers reduce services to Eastern Caribbean destinations.

He said the possible reduction of flights by airlines such as British Airways makes the establishment of a regional carrier even more urgent.

Browne said he was informed that British Airways had indicated plans to discontinue service to one OECS country and instead route passengers through Barbados.

“With these threats, we need now to provide proactive leadership and literally to put our money where our mouth is and to make sure that we develop mitigating strategies so that we do not get left behind,” he said.

Under Browne’s proposal, the OECS airline would be collectively owned by member governments but privately operated and managed on commercial principles.

“The airline will be owned by the governments collectively, operated and managed privately along commercial lines to generate profits to ensure sustainability,” he said.

Browne also stressed that the airline should not become a privilege for political leaders.

“No head will have the right to utilise this new airline as his or her private jet,” he said.

During his address, Browne also highlighted a decision by the ECCB Monetary Council to allow the prudent use of a portion of dormant account balances held at the central bank to support regional development initiatives, while protecting depositors’ rights.

“Let me be abundantly clear: we’re not trying to steal your money,” Browne said. He explained that lawful owners and beneficiaries would retain the right to reclaim their funds indefinitely, replacing a previous 30-year limitation period after which funds could have been forfeited.

The outgoing Monetary Council chairman also praised ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine and the bank’s staff for their performance over the past year, noting that the institution recorded a profit of EC$121.6 million for the 2025–2026 financial year.

Browne said the result reflected “prudent management and institutional excellence” and would allow for greater distribution of earnings to member governments.

The Prime Minister said the OECS region had navigated a challenging global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, changing trade patterns, inflationary pressures and energy market uncertainty.

“For small island developing states, these challenges are certainly familiar. Yet through prudent leadership, sound policy, and regional cooperation, the people of the Eastern Caribbean have once again demonstrated remarkable resilience,” he said.

Browne urged the region to transform that resilience into greater economic prosperity by strengthening local ownership and expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs.

“Our people must be positioned to control the commanding heights of the economies of our respective countries,” he said, warning against dependence on foreign capital.

He also called on financial institutions to provide more favourable lending terms to small businesses, arguing that government-backed guarantees had significantly reduced lending risks.

“The risk is about 80 per cent guaranteed, which means they should reduce the interest rate and interest costs to borrowers,” Browne said.

He added that lowering borrowing costs would help increase regional production, create jobs and support private sector growth across the Eastern Caribbean.