REDjet gets green light to fly St Kitts route

The St Kitts & Nevis government has given permission to the Barbados-based low-fare carrier REDjet to begin scheduled flights into the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.

"We have said to them, we are ready to receive you here in St Kitts & Nevis. Our people need to be able to have alternatives and competition is important. We believe that it will not only improve on efficiency and reliability of other carriers, but, to a large extent, impact positively on the fares," said Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas.

"We would want to have REDjet operate from Barbados to St Kitts, from St Kitts to St Maarten and then back to Barbados and then on to Guyana. We believe that is a route that our people would love. That is what we are working on."

Douglas, the current chairman of CARICOM, in a statement on Monday welcomed the resolution of the issues surrounding the licensing for the Barbados-based low-cost carrier, to operate flights to Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. REDjet was due to launch its operations in Trinidad on Thursday, July 28.

The two CARICOM countries had announced last week that REDjet would be allowed to operate flights into their countries after initially raising safety concerns with the airline.

Jamaica said Wednesday that REDjet operator Air One Venture Limited had reapplied in April and was granted the licence after satisfying the regulations of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority.

The issue had also been a major talking point at the CARICOM summit in St Kitts earlier this month, and Douglas said the "willingness of the member states involved to bring about a positive outcome" speaks to their commitment to regional integration.

"Transportation is a key sector in the development of our community given its role in ensuring the co-mingling of our peoples and enhancing trade among our member states," he said.

"Safe and affordable transportation is, therefore, of vital importance to creating the viable and prosperous Community that we all seek."

REDjet has since announced plans to expand its operations to other Caribbean destinations including the Dominican Republic and Grenada.

- CMC