CaribPR Wire

CARIBPR WIRE, HELSINKI, Finland, April 26, 2022:  The technology group Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract to supply and install a 46 MW dual-fuel power plant to the Caribbean Island of Antigua. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) order was placed by Antigua Power Company Limited (APCL), an independent power producer. The order was entered into Wärtsilä’s order book in January 2022. The plant will operate primarily on regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The project combines a power plant and an LNG gas terminal, storage and regasification facility. APCL won the bid for this project on an international tender held by the tender board of Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA). The LNG gas terminal project is being developed by U.S.-based Eagle LNG in equal partnership with APCL, with APUA as the gas purchaser. The project involves installation of a small-scale LNG storage and regasification terminal which will supply the fuel for the new power plant.

The island of Antigua and Barbuda has taken the lead in utilising environmentally sustainable fuel for power generation, and this will be the first project of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean region where an LNG terminal will be coupled to a Wärtsilä power plant. This integrative plant concept is expected to become a model for other island utilities in the Caribbean as the acceptance of LNG fuel increases in line with efforts to reduce emission levels. Wärtsilä has an installed base of power plants in the region with a combined capacity of more than 3300 MW.

“There is a need to provide additional generating capacity along with the island’s growth in demand for electricity. At the same time, some of the existing power production facilities would soon need to be replaced due to age and the increased focus on more environmentally sustainable systems. Having had good experience with Wärtsilä in the past, we see their dual-fuel power plant solution as the best answer to the island’s green energy plan and its current and future energy requirements,” explained Mr Aziz Hadeed, head of the Hadeed Group of Companies, the parent company of APCL.

Jon Rodriguez, Director, Power Plants, North America, Wärtsilä Energy, responded by saying: “The integration of this new power plant with an LNG terminal is a clear demonstration of Wärtsilä bringing its technological know-how and experience to assist its customers in making use of more environmentally sustainable fuels. We have earlier carried out four successful projects with APCL and we are delighted to have again been selected for this important project. I believe it comes as an endorsement of both the Wärtsilä technology and the sales support capabilities we have throughout the Caribbean.”

The plant will operate with five Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines capable of operating with both gas and light fuel oil. This flexibility is combined with high efficiency across the entire load range. The fast-starting capability means that the engines can reach full power within five minutes, enabling them to provide efficient grid balancing capacity as the adoption of renewable energy from wind and solar increases. Notably, these engines could be an ideal platform for future decarbonisation strategies by making use of carbon free fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia.

The plant is expected to become operational in Q3, 2023. It will supply electricity to APUA for distribution to the national grid. The decision to use regasified LNG, the cleanest of all fossil fuels, will result in about 40% less carbon production and is in step with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and APUA’s plan to reduce its environmental footprint.

Learn more about Wärtsilä engine power plants.

All Wärtsilä releases are available at https://www.wartsila.com/media/news-releases and at http://news.cision.com/wartsila-corporation where also the images can be downloaded.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers in decarbonisation by developing market-leading technologies. These cover future-fuel enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage and optimisation technology, including the GEMS energy management platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 76 GW of power plant capacity and 110 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/304ee94d-6454-4ec1-8a28-2173fdb1c776

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ba6303c-af19-4901-a218-af6fe25b1664

Central de energía de Wärtsilä acoplada a terminal de GNL en Antigua podría convertirse en modelo para otras empresas de servicios públicos del Caribe

Firma de APCL

Sr. Francis Hadeed, director de APCL (derecha) y Rodney George, vicepresidente para la región del Caribe, Wärtsilä Energy, firmaron un acuerdo de EPC para la entrega de una central de energía de 46 MW para Antigua en noviembre de 2021.

Motores Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä suministrará e instalará una central de energía de combustible dual de 46 MW en la isla caribeña de Antigua. La central operará con cinco motores Wärtsilä 34DF.

CARIBPR WIRE, HELSINKI, Finlandia, April 27, 2022:  — El grupo tecnológico Wärtsilä fue adjudicado el contrato de suministro e instalación de una central de energía de combustible dual de 46 MW en la isla caribeña de Antigua. El pedido de ingeniería, adquisición y construcción (EPC) fue realizado por Antigua Power Company Limited (APCL), un productor de energía independiente. El pedido fue ingresado en el libro de pedidos de Wärtsilä en enero de 2022. La central operará principalmente con gas natural licuado regasificado (GNL).

El proyecto combina una central de energía y una terminal de GNL, almacenamiento y regasificación. APCL ganó la licitación para este proyecto en una licitación internacional realizada por la junta de licitación de Antigua y Barbuda en representación de la Autoridad de Servicios Públicos de Antigua (APUA). El proyecto de la terminal de gas GNL está siendo desarrollado por Eagle LNG con sede en Estados Unidos en igual asociación con APCL, con APUA como comprador de gas. El proyecto incluye la instalación de una terminal de almacenamiento y regasificación de GNL a pequeña escala que suministrará el combustible para la nueva central de energía.

La isla de Antigua y Barbuda tomó la iniciativa en la utilización de combustible ambientalmente sostenible para la generación de energía, y este será el primer proyecto de este tipo en la región del Caribe Oriental, donde una terminal de GNL se acoplará a una central de energía de Wärtsilä. Se espera que este concepto de central integradora se convierta en un modelo para otras empresas de servicios públicos de la isla en el Caribe, puesto que la aceptación del GNL aumenta de acuerdo con los esfuerzos para reducir los niveles de emisión. Wärtsilä tiene una base instalada de centrales de energía en la región con una capacidad combinada de más de 3300 MW.

“Hay una necesidad de proporcionar capacidad de generación adicional junto con el crecimiento de la demanda de electricidad en la isla. Al mismo tiempo, algunas de las instalaciones de producción de energía existentes tendrían que ser reemplazadas pronto debido a la antigüedad y al creciente enfoque en sistemas ambientalmente más sostenibles. Habiendo tenido una buena experiencia con Wärtsilä en el pasado, vemos su solución de central de energía de doble combustible como la mejor respuesta al plan de energía verde de la isla y sus requisitos energéticos actuales y futuros”, explicó el Sr. Aziz Hadeed, jefe del Grupo de Empresas Hadeed, la compañía matriz de APCL.

Jon Rodríguez, director de centrales de energía, América del Norte, Wärtsilä Energy, respondió: “La integración de esta nueva central de energía con una terminal de GNL es una clara demostración de que Wärtsilä aporta su conocimiento tecnológico y experiencia para ayudar a sus clientes a hacer uso de combustibles ambientalmente más sostenibles. Anteriormente hemos llevado a cabo cuatro proyectos exitosos con la APCL y estamos muy contentos de haber sido seleccionados nuevamente para este importante proyecto. Creo que viene como un respaldo de la tecnología de Wärtsilä, así como de las capacidades de soporte de ventas que tenemos en todo el Caribe”.

La central operará con cinco motores de combustible dual Wärtsilä 34DF capaces de operar tanto con gas como con fuelóleo liviano. Esta flexibilidad se combina con alta eficacia en todo el rango de carga. La capacidad de arranque rápido significa que los motores pueden alcanzar máxima potencia en cinco minutos, lo que les permite proporcionar una capacidad de equilibrio de red eficaz a medida que aumenta la adopción de energía renovable eólica y solar. En especial, estos motores podrían ser una plataforma ideal para futuras estrategias de descarbonización utilizando combustibles libres de carbono, como el hidrógeno y el amoníaco.

Se espera que la central entre en funcionamiento en el tercer trimestre de 2023. La central suministrará electricidad a APUA para su distribución a la red nacional. La decisión de utilizar GNL regasificado, el más limpio de todos los combustibles fósiles, resultará en alrededor de un 40% menos de producción de carbono y está alineada con el plan del gobierno de Antigua y Barbuda y APUA para reducir su huella ambiental.

Para más información acerca de las centrales de energía de motores de Wärtsilä.

Todos los comunicados de prensa de Wärtsilä están disponibles en https://www.wartsila.com/media/news-releases y en http://news.cision.com/wartsila-corporation, donde también se pueden descargar las imágenes.

Wärtsilä Energy en resumen
Wärtsilä Energy lidera la transición hacia un futuro con energía 100% renovable. Ayudamos a nuestros clientes en la descarbonización con el desarrollo de tecnologías líderes en el mercado. Estas cubren centrales de energía de balance habilitadas para operar con los combustibles del futuro, soluciones híbridas, tecnología de almacenamiento y optimización de energía, incluida la plataforma de gestión de energía GEMS. Los servicios de ciclo de vida de Wärtsilä Energy están diseñados para incrementar la eficacia, promover la fiabilidad y garantizar el rendimiento operativo. Nuestra trayectoria incluye 76 GW de capacidad de central de energía y 110 sistemas de almacenamiento de energía distribuidos a 180 países de todo el mundo.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä en resumen
Wärtsilä es un líder mundial en tecnologías innovadoras y soluciones de ciclo de vida para los mercados marino y energético. Enfatizamos la innovación en tecnología y servicios sostenibles para ayudar a nuestros clientes a mejorar continuamente su rendimiento ambiental y económico. Nuestro equipo dedicado y apasionado de 17.000 profesionales en más de 200 ubicaciones en 68 países da forma a la transformación de la descarbonización de nuestras industrias en todo el mundo. En 2021, las ventas netas de Wärtsilä alcanzaron un total de 4.8 mil millones de euros. Wärtsilä cotiza en el Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com

Fotos asociadas a este comunicado de prensa están disponibles en

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/304ee94d-6454-4ec1-8a28-2173fdb1c776/es

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ba6303c-af19-4901-a218-af6fe25b1664/es

TORONTO, Aug. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Blue Diamond Resorts, the Caribbean’s fastest-growing hotel company, is proud to announce that it will be taking over the management and operation of Antigua’s largest all-inclusive resort, the 464-room Jolly Beach Resort & Spa, beginning September 1, 2017.

“We look forward to bringing our operations to the beautiful Island of Antigua, and to applying our management experience to this popular resort” said Jordi Pelfort, Managing Director of Blue Diamond Resorts.

Known to be one of Antigua’s best all-inclusive resorts for its value, Jolly Beach Resort & Spa is set on powdery Jolly Beach, and is enveloped by 40 acres of lush tropical garden and greenery. The resort offers guests a selection of accommodations in six categories, each featuring a private balcony with stunning views to enjoy the gentle Caribbean Sea breeze. Optional amenities including mini-fridge service, in-room coffee maker, Wi-Fi, and in-room safe are available at an additional charge. For dining, guests can choose between four a la carte restaurants offering delicious dishes from Italian classics and authentic Indian to grilled catch-of-the-day options and jerk chicken, or opt for Hemispheres, the resort’s spacious buffet.

Every afternoon at Jolly Beach Resort & Spa, guests gather to meet one another in the Courtyard for a unique spread of scones, pastries and a gourmet selection of teas. Those who prefer to stay active on their all-inclusive vacation are sure to enjoy the basketball, tennis and beach volleyball courts, or the Jolly Sports Program for daily tennis and dance lessons. Friendly competition takes place by the water with the Family Beach Olympics and kayak races, or guests can enjoy quiet time with authentic Antiguan arts & crafts, or a visit to the Palms Wellness Center.

For more information on this new resort experience from Blue Diamond Resorts, visit our website www.bluediamondresorts.com

About Blue Diamond Resorts

Since inception in 2011, Blue Diamond Resorts has risen to become the Caribbean’s fastest growing resort company of 35 properties exceeding 14,000 rooms in seven countries. Taking an innovative approach to differentiating brands under each market’s demands, Blue Diamond Resorts’ ever-expanding portfolio is more impressive than ever.  Award-winning Royalton Luxury Resorts offer signature All-In Luxury® amenities including All-In Connectivity™, modern Sports Event Guarantee™, and in-suite wellness elements such as the exclusive handcrafted DreamBed™.  Royalton Luxury Resorts’ adults-only sub-brands include Hideaway at Royalton, an adults-only experience, plus the stylish All Exclusive™ CHIC by Royalton, a social vacation experience. In Jamaica, Grand Lido Negril has been revived to provide those over 21 an upscale and au naturel vacation along an exclusive shore for the ultimate in privacy. Memories Resorts & Spa is an experience for families or adults featuring on-site splash parks, themed characters Toopy & Binoo™, and an innovative teen’s lounge. Starfish Resorts are solely found in Cuba and offer amazing value for customers with convenient locations, comfortable accommodations. In September 2017 Blue Diamond Resorts will manage Jolly Beach Resorts & Spa, Antigua’s largest all-inclusive resort with 454 rooms, on a world-famous beach that shares its name.

– Expanded Policy will Increase Access for Darunavir Pediatric Formulations in 128 Resource-Limited Countries

– Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica are some of the countries that would benefit with this policy

PANAMA CITY, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Johnson & Johnson today announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies have furthered their commitment to improve the health of children living with HIV through an expanded policy aimed at enhancing access to its HIV medicine darunavir. This policy enables the development of and access to new pediatric products of darunavir in 128 low- and middle-income countries[i], home to 99.8% of children and adolescents living with HIV worldwide[ii] today.

As part of efforts to help meet the needs of children and adolescents living with HIV, Janssen is working to create one of the broadest geographic territories for an access effort for pediatric HIV medicines to date. To that end, Janssen will expand the geographic scope of its 2012 policy not to enforce the patents it owns and controls on the antiretroviral (ARV) drug darunavir, for pediatric products used in low- and middle-income countries. This doubles the original territory of sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries[iii] announced in 2012. The 2012 policy outlines that Janssen will not enforce its darunavir patent rights, provided the generic versions of darunavir are quality, medically acceptable, and only used in the indicated countries. Today’s expanded policy is applicable only for pediatric darunavir products used in the defined territory. Manufacturers are still responsible for obtaining permissions from other darunavir patent holders and health authorities where appropriate.

These renewed efforts are an outcome of engagement between Janssen and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), directly supporting the recently-launched Pediatric HIV Treatment Initiative (PHTI). PHTI is a partnership between the MPP, UNITAID, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) dedicated to speeding the development of high-priority pediatric co-formulations of HIV medicines and addressing other potential barriers to treatment access for children living with HIV.

Janssen will collaborate with PHTI partners to develop critical new formulations of pediatric HIV medicines to help safeguard the lives of children and adolescents living with HIV. Janssen and PHTI organizations will explore the possible development of a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of darunavir with the boosting agent ritonavir for children living with HIV. Darunavir administered with ritonavir and in combination with other antiretroviral medicines is currently indicated for highly treatment-experienced adult and pediatric HIV patients (third-line) in resource-limited settings and has been recommended by the World Health Organization[iv].  A novel FDC that is safe, effective and child-friendly would be an important step in realizing the global health imperative to close the pediatric HIV treatment gap.

“Our vision is that children living with HIV can receive the treatments they need to stay strong and grow to become productive young adults,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson and Worldwide Chairman, Janssen. “We are committed to ensuring that no child is without access to appropriate, child-friendly HIV treatment options and, most importantly, the hope of a healthy future.”

“Finding innovative solutions for the challenges of pediatric HIV treatment requires us all to think differently and act collaboratively,” said Tomas Matthews, Access Director, Janssen Global Public Health. “We are working to address obstacles in efforts to help protect the health of vulnerable children living with HIV in high-burden countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and elsewhere around the world.”

Janssen and Johnson & Johnson have a longstanding commitment to helping children living with HIV and enhancing access to its medicines for thosein need. For more than a decade, Johnson & Johnson has supported efforts to reduce the number of new HIV infections among children, and in 2011, the company pledged an additional $15 million to support the Global Plan to eliminate pediatric HIV. In December 2013, Janssen launched the New Horizons Advancing HIV Care initiative, a collaborative effort to strengthen country-level capacity, knowledge, and action around the needs of HIV treatment-experienced children. A key feature of this initiative is a treatment donation program for PREZISTA® (darunavir) and INTELENCE® (etravirine) for HIV treatment-experienced children and adolescents.

Johnson & Johnson and Janssen are committed to advancing global health. Its family of companies has launched and continues to support a variety of comprehensive efforts toward strengthening the health of communities, improving maternal and child health, and preventing the spread of infectious and preventable diseases worldwide. For more information on Johnson & Johnson global health programs, visit www.jnj.com.

About Janssen, the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we are dedicated to addressing and solving the most important unmet medical needs of our time, including in oncology (e.g., multiple myeloma and prostate cancer), immunology (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, IBD and psoriasis), neuroscience (e.g., schizophrenia, dementia and pain), infectious disease (e.g., HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and tuberculosis), and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes).

Driven by our commitment to patients, we develop sustainable, integrated healthcare solutions by working side-by-side with healthcare stakeholders, based on partnerships of trust and transparency. To learn more, visit www.janssen.com.

About Johnson & Johnson

Caring for the world, one person at a time…inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science ‒ bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Our approximately 126,500 employees at more than 265 Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world.

References

[i] In addition to all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as defined by the United Nations and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), countries included in this policy expansion are Algeria, American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Nauru, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, and West Bank and Gaza.

[ii] Calculated using data from: UNICEF. Children, Adolescents and AIDS (2014 Statistical Update). http://www.childrenandaids.org/

[iii] Resource-limited settings under this policy include all Least Developed Countries (”LDCs”) as defined by the United Nations (http://www.unohrlls.org/en/ldc/25/) and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) which are not classified as LDCs.

[iv] World Health Organization. Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infection in Adults and Adolescents: Recommendations for a Public Health Approach, 2010 Revision. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241599764_eng.pdf

CONTACT:  Joan Townsend, Janssen Communication Manager, [email protected]

CaribPR Wire, PORSTMOUTH, Dominica , Tues. Feb. 25, 2014: Dominica hotelier, Gregor Nassief, is urging St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, to step aside as chairman of the shareholder’s committee of regional airline LIAT, in a fourth open letter to the shareholders. Nassief insists that since Gonsalves believes LIAT can never be profitable, then the airline urgently needs a new chairman and ‘general’ who can find a new approach for taking LIAT and the Caribbean aviation industry forward without a perpetual and unfair burden on the treasuries of St. Vincent, Antigua, Barbados and Dominica. The open letter follows.

February 25, 2014

Honourable Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Dear Prime Minister Gonsalves:

Re:  Run it like a business before it goes out of business

On the televised program Time to Face the Facts on Sunday, February 23^rd, I appealed to you to step aside as Chairman of the Shareholder’s committee of LIAT.  As mentioned on the program, given the respect and admiration I have for you, particularly on your stance and leadership on issues such as reparations and the cholera outbreak in Haiti, it was personally difficult for me to do this.  But it is necessary.

LIAT has moved from an operational meltdown in the Summer of 2013 to a financial meltdown a mere 7 months later.  LIAT drains our treasuries, operates inefficiently and stifles competition.  The source of LIAT’s problem is its financial unsustainability and as with everything else at LIAT, no one is accountable.  As Chairman of the Shareholder’s committee, the buck stops with you.

LIAT needs to fight the battle of its life to transform itself to be financially viable and sustainable.  But you believe, and have stated so publicly, that LIAT can never be profitable.  This battle, therefore, needs a different general.

Unsustainability

LIAT has lost ec$120m in the last four years.  Last month, LIAT could not pay both the lease on its aircraft as well as its payroll.  So it chose one and delayed the other.  A leased ATR gives 36% more seat capacity than its closest Dash 8 equivalent but is double the (lease) expense.  In 2015, repayments will begin on LIAT’s recent loan of us$65m to purchase new aircraft.   So monthly cash outflows go up even more.

And the new inflows to cover this?  Inter-island tourism is down 60% in 7 years and LIAT’s load factor is running at about 55%.  The fantasy (aka “business plan”) is that the load factor will go up to 75%.  The fantasy is also that LIAT will fly its way out of losses by expanding to new destinations – Jamaica, Haiti, Aruba, Panama, and eventually to cities in North and South America.

LIAT employs 850+ people, flies 22 destinations, operates between 10 and 12 aircraft from 2 hubs (3 if you count Trinidad) to move 800,000+ passengers a year to generate massive losses.

So it’s bail out time again.  Call on shareholders, and call on other good neighbors so that we can continue to drain our treasuries, operate inefficiently and stifle competition.  And for you this is acceptable because LIAT should not be run like a business and can never make a profit.

Our fragile economies can no longer support perpetual bailouts.  If we do not take the bull by the horns LIAT will go out of business – it will employ no one, fly nowhere, operate no aircraft and use no hubs.  But alas, it will generate no losses and competitive players will fill the gaps because LIAT, the airline unfairly propped up by perpetual subsidies, will not be there to run them out of business.

LIAT must therefore immediately begin a journey towards financial sustainability to save itself.  But if the leader does not believe in the journey, then the journey will never begin.  It is on this basis, with full respect and admiration, that I ask you to step aside as Chairman of the Shareholder’s committee, so that a new mandate to make LIAT financially sustainable can be ushered in.

Sustainability

The new chairman of the Shareholder’s committee needs to believe that the battle can be won.  And what needs to be done is not rocket science.

Appoint a Chairman and a Board capable of turning around the financial fortunes of the company and running a top-notch airline.  Give them the authority and autonomy to do what needs to be done.  Allow them to appoint a CEO and restructure the management team as necessary.   Allow LIAT to become a real business free from political interference tasked with a perfect safety record, high employee satisfaction, great customer service and solid financial performance.  A fierce focus on the company’s finances with adjustments made to yield (including renegotiation of government/airport taxes), network efficiency and operating costs will be required.  The resulting operation will have fewer employees, fewer destinations and fewer aircraft.  It will be profitable, dependable and it will deliver great service.  Like any airline, unprofitable routes will continue only with guarantees from the interested party/government.  But at least then, the taxpayers will know what they are paying for, and can make that decision.  And other/smaller airlines will take up the slack.  Competition will flourish, as will LIAT, and the Caribbean will finally get the airlift network it needs.

With a restructured board and executive, confidence in the airline’s financial performance will be established and other Caribbean governments may even want to invest.

At the right time, joint venture the company while maintaining a minimum 50% shares among shareholder governments.  The two best run airlines in the world (Singapore Airlines and Air Malaysia) are run like a business and are profitable and remain owned 50% or more by the State and 50% or less by private interests.  Like LIAT, they were bleeding losses and their shareholder governments could no longer manage the bailouts.  So they took the tough decisions, appointed the right board and executive team, and turned the airlines around to the benefit of all stakeholders.

Yes, it will be painful, but it is necessary.  And most importantly it will pull LIAT back from the financial cliff and put it on a course to long term financial sustainability.

Please consider that I am a hotelier from an island that is almost 80% dependent on LIAT for airlift.  Cut one route to Dominica, and we/Dominica will suffer.  But if my option is (a) to continue to have all the LIAT routes we have today with an airline that is prone to poor service, ad hoc cancellations, occasional and irrational pilot strikes and constantly at the edge of a financial precipice due to insurmountable financial losses – OR – (b) an airline with fewer routes but with good service, dependable schedules and solid financial performance, then my choice is definitely the latter.  And other airlines, once permitted, will take up the slack.

In Summary

Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  And then finally, he invented the electric light bulb.

We have lived through and exhausted the many ways that LIAT won’t work.  It is time to try the way that will.

I appeal to you, Prime Minister Gonsalves, as well as the other Shareholder Prime Ministers, to mandate a new approach for taking LIAT and the Caribbean aviation industry forward without this perpetual and unfair burden on our treasuries.

It is time to run it like a business before it goes out of business.

Respectfully Yours,

Gregor Nassief

Owner/Director – Secret Bay

Executive Chairman – Fort Young Hotel

cc:        Honourable Dr. Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda

Honourable Freundel Stuart of Barbados

Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica

p.s.       As we again desperately seek additional funds for yet another bailout, make it the last please.  Don’t put the money into the black hole of an unsustainable business model.  Instead, use it to restructure the airline, rationalize its operations and place it on a solid long term footing.  In other words, make it the last bailout!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Nassief’s full letter is also available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/209141390/Letter-to-LIAT-Chairman-of-LIAT-s-Shareholders-Committee-February-25-2014-from-Dominica-Hotelier-Gregor-Nassief

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – MEI Healthcare Inc., a leading provider of healthcare strategies and equipment solutions for medical facilities around the world, is partnering with the government of Antigua and Barbuda, the governments of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Global Health Partners, Ltd., to begin construction of The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean at Mount St. John Medical Centre in St. John, Antigua. Groundbreaking for the new $13.5 million (EC dollars) facility will take place Thursday, April 26.

“Our partnership will provide accessible, high-quality cancer care for a population that is underserved,” said Gordon Baltzer, CEO of MEI Healthcare Inc. Baltzer will be speaking at the groundbreaking. “Currently, patients need to be treated abroad, which is costly and incredibly difficult for patients and their families. As a result, many patients have gone without treatment.”

The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean will provide high-quality medical, radiation and surgical oncology services. The facility will include state-of-the-art technology capable of administering intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The centre will be used as the hub for consultation services being offered to the participating member countries.

“Nearly 1,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed each year in the OECS and, of those, approximately 400 will need radiotherapy at some time in their disease course,” said Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, The Hon. Baldwin Spencer in a prepared statement. “I recognize that currently there are no facilities in the Eastern Caribbean that are truly comprehensive and offer both surgery and radiation…(and) it’s important for us to develop the facilities necessary to provide support to patients who have cancer.”

The Hon. Arthur T. Porter, M.D., Chair of the Board of MEI and a key driver of this project, stated, “MEI insures that the Eastern Caribbean will have the technology platform to deliver modern day cancer therapy at a level commensurate with that of the USA, Canada or Europe.”

During a regional healthcare symposium in 2009, government officials expressed interest in developing a partnership with the private sector to equip a cancer center in Antigua with the latest oncology services and technical expertise. The “partnered care” model being used to create the facility is a cost-effective solution to bringing the latest technology to the region.

MEI provides business development, capital equipment funding strategies and growth consulting services to physicians, hospitals and healthcare systems worldwide.

About MEI Healthcare Inc.

Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., MEI is a comprehensive healthcare strategy firm that works with physician groups and medical centers to provide turnkey healthcare solutions. MEI and its subsidiaries, MEI Development Group, MEI Healthcare Capital, MEI Informatics, MEI Healthcare International and MEI Healthcare Foundation, offer its clients more than 40 years of healthcare business experience and the value-added benefits of its strategic alliances. For more information, visit http://www.mei.com.