St. John's---Oct. 6, 2006----Caribbean Star Airlines confirmed today that it has entered into
discussions with LIAT toward possibly joining forces and creating a new
airline combining the best of the two carriers. It is anticipated that
the talks, which have been ongoing for several weeks on an informal
basis, will accelerate with today’s news that
LIAT’s Board of Directors has authorized the
carrier to pursue negotiations with Caribbean Star on a formal basis.
Skip Barnette, president and CEO of Caribbean Star Airlines and its
sister carrier, Caribbean Sun Airlines, commented on the discussions
with LIAT, saying: “While competition is the
best system in some environments, cooperation appears to be the better
avenue for Caribbean Star, LIAT and the region. We applaud today’s
decision by the LIAT Board and look forward to exploring our options on
a formal basis in the coming days and weeks.”
From its base in St. John’s, Antigua,
Caribbean Star serves 12 gateways within the region with 637 weekly
flights. The carrier operates a fleet of 11 aircraft –
four brand-new state-of-the-art Dash-8 Q300s, plus seven Dash-8 300s –
each with a 50-seat capacity.
About Caribbean Star Airlines and
Caribbean Sun Airlines
Privately held Caribbean Star Airlines Limited was incorporated in
Antigua in January 2000. Its sister airline Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc.,
based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, launched its maiden flight in January
2003. Caribbean Star Airlines Limited and Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc.
are affiliated but separate companies. The air service provided by each
carrier is operated independently of the other, and the rules applicable
to travel on each airline may be different. More information about
Caribbean Star Airlines and Caribbean Sun Airlines is available at their
respective websites, www.flycaribbeanstar.com
and www.flycsa.com.