LIAT to commence scheduled services to Canouan
 
Friday, February 13, 2009/
  

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: Regional airline LIAT announced on Tuesday that it will shortly commence scheduled services to and from the island of Canouan, part of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Effective March 3, LIAT will operate three flights per week from Grenada to Canouan, with three more flights originating from Barbados being added effective March 6.

Flight 760 will depart Grenada on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:15 am, arriving in Canouan at 10:45 am. It will then leave Canouan at 11:00 am, arriving in Barbados at 11:40 am.
 
LIAT aircraft on the tarmac
Meanwhile, flight 787 will leave Barbados at 5:20 pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Canouan at 6:00 pm. It will leave Canouan at 6:15 pm, arriving in Grenada at 6:45 pm.

“Canouan visitors and residents can look forward to improved inter-island connections with the introduction of these services by LIAT,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Darby said.

“Our decision to introduce scheduled services to the island at this time is just another demonstration of our commitment to the region. We will be looking at improving our schedule in the near future.”

Darby said that it took months of collaboration between the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, LIAT and Canouan Resorts Development Limited – developers of the Canouan International Airport - to get to this stage.

He praised St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves for his vision and personal intervention in bringing the plan to fruition.

The prime minister, meanwhile, has hailed the planned commencement of the LIAT flights as “a most important development”.

“LIAT’s entry to Canouan is most significant. The southern Grenadines constitute an important base for tourism,” Gonsalves said.

“We have built a jet airport in Canouan, which was opened in May last year, and LIAT will contribute immensely not only to Canouan but the lift-off from Canouan to Union Island and Bequia, so it’s going to help nationals and it’s going to help visitors,” the prime minister added.