EC$10M JetBlue dispute deepens as Gonsalves rejects Shallow’s debt claim

St Vincent and the Grenadines: The dispute between St Vincent and the Grenadines and JetBlue over how much the country owes the airlines has widened following the announcement of Delta Airlines ending its Atlanta-Argyle direct flight service in September, 2026 after only 9 months of operation.

According to the reports, Tourism Minister Dr Kishore Shallow noted in the Parliament on August 27, 2026, that the government owes JetBlue more than EC$10 million under a revenue-guarantee agreement signed by the previous Unity Labour Party administration.

Shallow noted that the EC$10 million has been left unpaid by the ULP from 2024. He noted that the former government refused to pay the bill, resulting in the current government owing the airline over $10 million today.

He noted that the debt was among the liabilities inherited by the New Democratic Party government when it took office in November 2025, and did not provide a breakdown of the sum.

Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves rejected it on September 1, 2026, noting that a revenue-guarantee arrangement exists with the carrier but disputing Shallow's characterisation of the sums does not.

It is a lie. We had always said that there's a revenue guarantee, but they haven't paid it and October is coming now, and we'll see what is the other bill. The money would have been up to $10 million, but that is not what had been incurred, he said.

He mentioned that the actual initial claim was just over US$2 million and that EC$10 million was a contractual ceiling.

Gonsalves accused Shallow of using the JetBlue figure to divert attention from the loss of the Delta route and the only US direct flight service to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which occurred under the NDP’s watch.

Previously, Shallow said that the government held two meetings with Delta, on May 19 and July 31, 2026, before the airline's announcement.

In the meeting Delta cited that their reason for the decision of discontinuation is based on the low passenger demand, higher fuel costs and weaker premium travel demand.