Tobago Business Chamber wants seaplane airbridge too
The Tobago Business Chamber is urging the government to consider implementing a seaplane service between Scarborough and Port of Spain, specifically for business travellers.
On Wednesday, the chamber welcomed Caribbean Airlines’ (CALs) decision to fly 24 daily services from April 2 to meet the inter-island demand.
The chamber, the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association and other stakeholders had been clamouring for increased flights to the island, particularly in light of the government’s decision last Saturday to do away with safe zones and covid19 restrictions in most sectors.
They said Tobago’s economy was decimated by covid19 over the past two years and needs to be revived.
In a WhatsApp voice note on Thursday, the chamber’s chairman Martin George said while the organisation is grateful for the increase in the number of airbridge flights, a seaplane service is also needed to facilitate ease of doing business.
“We need to explore the idea of a seaplane service between Scarborough and Port of Spain for business travellers,” he said.
“It is ludicrous that you have to basically take a whole day for any business that any Tobagonian has to conduct in Port of Spain, if you have to go down to Crown Point, to the ANR Robinson International Airport, get a flight, travel into Port of Spain, then conduct your meeting – which may be just ten or 15 minutes.
“But then you have to fight up with the traffic to come back up to Piarco, wait on your flight, then get back to Tobago.
“You basically lose an entire day for what could be a ten- or 15-minute meeting in Port of Spain.”
By: COREY CONNELLY