Wehner reports that dual negotiations appear to be in train as Government seeks investors to take on LIAT 2020

Interesting information appears to be emerging on what the Browne
Administration hopes will be the new LIAT 2020; but George
Wehner, investigative reporter and mobilization officer for the
United Progressive Party (UPP), is describing the processs as
confusion.

Wehner says that earlier plans for the airline seem to be going a
different route as the Government’s new partnership with Air Peace
is about to be take shape. 

Wehner reports that a now-developing situation involves a company
called CFA Global Antigua, which is a group that formerly traded as
LAC Tourism Development Antigua.

Late last year (in September/October 2022 ), Wehner recalls, the
Browne Administration – led by Lennox Weston, the then junior
minister of finance – signed an agreement with this group, an
aviation company.

Interestingly, Wehner says, CFA Global Antigua has set up its
headquarters in the ADOMS building (the John E. St. Luce
oConference Centre), which is in close proximity to the
headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority
(ECCAA).

Wehner is curious to know whether this entity has satisfied ECCAA’s
five-stage means test – since, reportedly, Antigua Airways could
made it past the first phase to secure its air operator’s certificate.
He notes that the public has not heard anything about a new deal,
nor about this outfit, which is trading online as a local airline
company that is expected to take over LIAT 2020. However, only
recently, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that Air Peace will hold
the majority of shares – 70 percent – in the new LIAT.

According to Wehner, this deal reeks of confusion as, somewhere in
between, there is a nexus with one of Africa’s biggest airlines.

Meanwhile, there have been reports that Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Trade Paul “Chet” Greene recently traveled to Nigeria, where he
was instrumental in brokering some sort of deal for the formation of
the new airline.

Reportedly coming out of that visit, the Nigerian authorities wrote to
all foreign missions and embassies noting the disrespect of persons
entering that country to negotiate without first getting clearance. 

Wehner speculates that this was on account of Greene’s trip during
which he went to negotiate with Air Peace “privately.”