St.Kitts and Nevis Tourism Minister Richard Skerritt is urging regional governments to help the Barbados-based low cost carrier, REDEjet, return to the skies.

Skerritt, who is also chairman of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), told reporters here that there is a ‘pent-up’ demand for air travel in the region, especially with the spiral cost for regional airlift.

“You speak to Barbados and Guyana ministers which I have had the privilege to do with both just within the last week and both of them will tell you that REDjet was a major asset to them, it also stimulated competition” Skerritt said.

“Caribbean governments need to sit down and discuss whether you are an equity investor or not. What is needed to bring about affordable sustainable travel in the Caribbean?” Earlier this month, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said he had no sympathy for the financial problems facing REDjet, and that he had not been informed as to the purpose of the airline within the region.

“Nobody in any country in CARICOM wrote me or told me about it. None of the countries where REDjet was servicing (informed me). None. The owners of REDjet did not come and see me and tell me what they were doing, so I interpreted that as there was no interest in having the CARICOM air transport spokesperson get involved in their business,” Gonsalves said.

Last month, a senior Barbados government minister said that efforts were being made to have the low-cost carrier resume operations within a two month period. Trinidad and Tobago has, like Barbados, revoked the licences granted to the carrier that in March suspended its services to various regional destinations.