(Trinidad Guardian) Caribbean Airlines’ chairman George Nicholas has tendered his resignation from the state-owned national carrier. Minister of Transport Devant Maharaj confirmed Nicholas’ resignation Tuesday night. “Yes. I can confirm this. I am in receipt of his letter but I cannot say anything more,” he told the Guardian. Maharaj declined to give Nicholas’ reason for his resignation.
Nicholas, in an interview following Maharaj’s appointment as his new line minister, said that he shared a more cordial relationship with Maharaj than with former line minister Jack Warner. Nicholas could not be reached for comment on his sudden resignation. His ten-month old appointment was littered with headlines—from the controversial firing of former chief executive Captain Ian Brunton, a public spat with Warner over the issue of ATR purchase, the acquisition of Air Jamaica routes and aircraft and more recently, the entry of low-cost carrier REDjet to the local market and more recently the runway excursion of BW 523 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana. Nicholas’ relationship with his board was also contentious. On two occasions, once with Warner and the other with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the board claimed they could not work with him. CAL’s Communications Manager Laura Asbjornsen said she was unaware of Nicholas’ resignation.
