CARIBAVIA 2025 Caribbean Airlift Council - time to unify? By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert.

Airlift is a major Caribbean problem. It deserves high priority because it is vital for tourism and trade, It’s important for the economic well-being of all population members of the Caribbean communities.

The problem has been acknowledged for many years. Just view on-line news archives. No one has come up with a true common solution.

How to solve the airlift problem? It is quite complicated, because of the geography and the many jurisdictions. Try to define the Caribbean too. It could be any area between Bermuda and the Guyanas. Then include the coastal areas of Central America.

Yet, the countries need each other’s air transport connections. It is not the kind of project where one should expect to have a complete universal solution at once, for all. It will most likely come in steps and building blocks. That’s acceptable, as long as the result is a ‘Caribbean House’ that all feel comfortable to live in. Part of the problem is the word ‘unifying’.

The solution may be a Caribbean Airlift Council, as aired during CARIBAVIA. An institution independent from governments. It cooperates with governments and advises them when asked, yet it is credible and highly respected to urgently suggest and be accepted even when not asked.

Where does that leave the representation of the public sector, the various business organizations or interest groups? The expression ‘Interest groups’ says a lot. They usually pursue a particular interest that is on their minds. They have organized themselves for that purpose. There are three interest segments: aviation, tourism and investment. The Caribbean Airlift Council will cooperate with all of them and communicate, but remain impartial and independent. If the Council is just a mediator in such a complicated environment, why fiddle around with a healing middleman and not immediately call a priest? Not so pessimistic! This is about new life and when differing circumstances meet, creativity is encouraged.

The primary task of the Council is finding realistic solutions for any airlift issue that has not been dealt with (past, current, and future) with a satisfactory result. This global definition creates an immense field of issues. It serves all airlift stakeholders, not just the aviation industry, but rather the travel and tourism interests, and to a lesser degree the investment segment. The Council activities could include, consulting and advise, study, mediation, certification (e.g. Caribbean Friendly Sky concept). Several other activities may be included but are undisclosed so far.

The Council shall not copy the activities which agencies or organizations are doing or supposed to do. If nothing else, it will simply outdo these actors with faster and better solutions. There are many issues that need an ultimate solution, sooner than later. The reason why these needs exist so widely, is because they have never been dealt with on such a broad base. Maybe attempted on a smaller scale or a narrower base, but they have not resulted in accomplishments that serve all governments, communities or interest groups in the region. Sometimes it may have been the lack of foresight or appropriate competence; other times it was the political meddling.

The Council should not get any authority else it may already encounter resistance by a foreseeable number of egos. Yet, the fact that the Council is an authority on the airlift subject itself, may be its most powerful instrument to drive influence and impact. Anyone who ignores the work or advice of the Council might be considered foolish. The entity should be strong-minded, indestructible, and always remain focused on carrying out the mission leading to the objective of solving Caribbean airlift problems. The unit should be totally integral, impartial, unbiased, neutral, with no hidden agendas to command respect by all.

Creating the right organizational structure and its procedures is a challenge. The members and affiliates of the Council should be competent movers, and not well-worded followers. Titles are meaningless; it is not about who a person is, but rather what the person can do. Efficiency must rule; wasting time or energy is a no-no; mediocracy is considered failure.

In their idle time some people dream. ONE CARIBBEAN may be such a dream or just an illusion. Who really wants a Caribbean Airlift Council? Defining and determining why to unify, may already be a tougher issue to find a consensus on, than the unification process itself. Who will make it happen, a messiah or a navigator? Maybe this all remains food for thought; maybe it could be an appetizer.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 7th August 2025 | Issue #807