(Trinidad Express) REDjet airline licence to fly has been revoked by the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA), Transport Minister Devant Maharaj disclosed yesterday.
Earlier this month, REDjet’s chief executive officer (CEO) Ian Burns said that the airline had no alternative but to suspend flights due to financial problems.
Maharaj stated in a media release that the TTCAA revoked REDjet’s licence by letter dated yesterday, to Burns from TTCAA director general Ramesh Lutchmedial.
In that letter, Lutchmedial informed Burns that the authority was left with no option but to revoke the licence, since the Barbados Civil Aviation Department (BCAD) by letter dated March 20, had advised REDjet that they were suspending the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) issued to REDjet Ltd.
Maharaj noted that the suspension of REDjet’s AOC by the BCAD would therefore invalidate Section 6 (1) (a) of the TTCAA regulations, which states that as one of the conditions to grant a provisional licence is that the carrier has a valid AOC issued by the foreign authority.
He added that the TTCAA had written to REDjet on March 28, requesting the airline to respond within 14 days as to why the provisional licences issued to REDjet should not be revoked or cancelled.
The TTCAA also questioned whether REDjet had the capacity and ability to provide a continuous and reliable service.
“However, subsequent to that letter and before REDjet’s deadline for response, the TTCAA received a copy of the letter dated March 20, 2012 by the BCAD, and therefore had to revoke REDjet’s licence with immediate effect,” said Maharaj.
