LIAT 2020 plans to launch flights to UK, Miami, Lagos and more in major expansion push

The Antigua and Barbuda based air carrier, LIAT 2020, has revealed its plans to expand its route network with new services planned for across the Caribbean and into Central and South America, Europe, North America and Africa in the coming years.  

The Chief Commercial Officer of the airline Tosan Bani revealed the growth strategy of the airline during the 43rd Caribbean Travel Marketplace hosted in Antigua and Barbuda last week by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.  

Since beginning its operations in August 2023, the airline has already expanded its services across 13 Caribbean countries including Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadine etc from its home base of Antigua and Barbuda.  

According to Bani, the airline is also planning to launch a new route to Belize, which will probably kick off within this year. He said that the team is presently talking to Belize to see how they can move into the island and connect with Belize via Kingston. 

The airline is also exploring new markets further south, said Tosan Bani. He added that talks are ongoing to introduce flights to Panama and LIAT plans to test the Colombian market with a charter flight in July before considering scheduled service. 

Also, LIAT is close to finalising regulatory approvals in the South American region to enter Suriname. Looking ahead, the airline is setting its sights on long haul destinations to expand its network beyond the Caribbean.  

By the 4th quarter of next year, the airline is expecting to kick off flights to the United Kingdom, with further plans to serve Miami and Lagos using its wide-body aircraft. To support this network growth, the fleet of the airline will also expand from four aircraft to six by the end of this year.  

Bani further said that the recently launched route between Antigua and Jamaica is performing strongly, and a larger narrow body plane will also be introduced to meet the rising demand. He emphasised that the customers of the new LIAT can expect to see an enhanced service and reliability as compared to its predecessor.