REDjet is dead, dead, dead – and it’s not coming back
by Robert
If the Prime Minister of Barbados is going to speak, please let him speak the common sense truth – and if he doesn’t, will the news media please call him on it?
On Sunday, PM Freundel Stuart (photo above) told a Democratic Labour Party meeting that the government “has not turned its back” on REDjet, and that the government would review the company’s books prior to making a decision about the airline.
This kind of ‘happy face’, deflecting statement is normal in Bajan politics to keep the PM or other big ups from having to say negative truths in public. It is a political strategy to keep the public from associating negative events with the leader. The problem is that the public becomes so used to hearing this kind of cow dung from our leadership that we too begin to accept it as ‘normal’.
It’s time we had leaders who just spoke the truth. Bajans can deal with the truth. We’re not children.
In the case of REDjet, everybody who has anything to do with Caribbean aviation knows that airline is dead, dead, dead. The airplanes are out of service (they were the wrong choice for the mission anyway), the ground and flight staffers are long gone and most important: whatever trust, goodwill and brand value that REDjet developed in its short life evaporated like a puddle of spilled Jet A fuel on a hot day. People are still waiting for refunds that will never come and they aren’t about to take another chance.
Killing the Vampire
The staff at the governments-owned Caribbean Airlines called REDjet a ‘vampire’ for sucking the passengers and cash from Caribbean Airlines in such troubled times. Now that REDjet lies in its grave, the surviving airlines are making sure that a couple of wooden stakes are pounded through its heart. They are determined that this phantom should never rise again. Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados revoked REDjet’s licences and after it ran into trouble and if the airline tries a return you can be sure that the company and staff will have to jump through all the hoops once again when it comes to licensing. It’s not going to be “Oh, you’re back. Here’s your papers.” That will be six months gone.
Unlike our Bajan babysitter, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines told it like it is. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said he had no intention of getting involved in the any action to save the REDjet, explaining, “REDjet is privately owned, Caribbean Airlines (CAL) is owned by the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, LIAT is owned by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines”.
REDjet is dead, dead, dead and Prime Minister Stuart should be saying that truth to Bajans and to foreign investors suckers seeking to revive the airline.
Any investors foolish enough to try to revive REDjet will be most disappointed because it always ends the same way when private business tries to compete with businesses run by the government.
Further Reading
The Nation – PM: Door not closed on REDjet
Barbados Free Press 
If this was not such a serious matter, I would have thought somebody is trying to make a joke here.
51 DAYS after the airline ceased operations the PM is now publicly grandstanding by calling ‘to secure a copy of the company’s balance sheet’.
Hasn’t the closure of 35 hotels including the largest single property on Barbados and the loss of thousands of jobs sent a measure of urgency
to our politicians.
Are we really serious about tourism?
No we are not – I used to think that Sandy was the worst PM Barbados ever had but frankly the incumbent makes him look real good!!!
I can actually HEAR the gears of his brain grinding to a halt when he is speaking.
Our accidental PM does have trouble speaking in public, but he is a good man and a good functionary. He is not a leader though in any sense of the word.
@Adrian Loveridge
“the PM is now publicly grandstanding by calling ‘to secure a copy of the company’s balance sheet’. At least he is calling for a balance sheet. With CLICO, he never called for anything and it appears that a copy of the forensic audit was never delivered to him. Poor man.
@ Tudor
You very harsh on the PM Stuart. Would prefer to have back a PM who is at the beck and call of businessmen and powerful people in Barbados? Like most of the ones before?
Are you aware that in the past, not too long ago either, powerful and well-connected people in this country could call a PM (pun his cell phone no less) and get an audience with him within an hour or two to strike a deal to buy a Government assset or secure contract or organise a favour or arrange an exemption from prosecution?
We had such vagobonds in past that we can even recognise now a man with integrity. When you have a respect for people, institutions and the rule of law you cannot make decisions on complex problems at the drop of a hat. PM Stuart is a considerate PM but we too accustom to pimps and perverts.
The more and more I hear the PM speak the more and more I think he really doesn’t know his elbow from his backside. Action on this and MANY other matters was needed months ago. Stop complaining for the hand you were dealt and just get on and deal with it. If you can’t handle it be a man admit it and move on.
@ Robt Ifill. What you say about PM Stuart’s positive attributes and goodness of character is true but so what? This makes him neither a CAPABLE Prime Minister nor a good LEADER. He seems to be in over his head. He has struggled and will continue to until he demits office, to run his Cabinet first and Barbados second. He is clearly not the political animal like Talkson, Arthur, Adams and Barrow were. Poor fella!
BUT what we do urgently need is a leader who can keep his own Cabinet and Party in line and have the ability and savvy to run a country. Stuart is a good, forthright human being but we need a capable leader. Period!
I work at the airport and REDJET’s planes were flying last week. not sure then where you hear your facts. not much to say on PM, still waiting to see him turn up!
Freundel Stuart is not interested in Red Jet neither in Almond Beach because there is no money to thief. He is busy giving instructions to his Ministers to buy all equipments and vehicles exclusively at Simpson Motors. Is he cutting deals for himself or for the DLP???
The best way to change one’s status from multimillionaire to millionaire is to buy an airline…Bizzy home getting Shelly to pat he dong wid greeze to ease he whems from RedJet.
@ Tillman
That’s good news. Keep us posted.
Did anyone imagine GUYANA would be rescuing a fiscal and tourism crisis about 5 years or a decade ago? That Barbados to messed up to care or be capable?
Only Socialism seeks/tries to rescue(nationalize?) private Enterprises when they go bust!
In a Capitalist system, it is understood that any private enterprise business venture is a risk undertaken by the shareholders:
Big Success equals Big Profits (everyone happy)
Big Failure equals Big Losses (tears all around).
Northerners wanting to live in the Caribbean
often buy their way in, one way or another.
Some buy a house and done wid dat!
But others, the crafty ones, start up a business in the full knowledge that these lil islands all fancy themselves to be socialist successes, and are easily persuaded to bail-out business failures.
We’ve seen this pattern time and again
yet we feel hard to learn from the repeat experiences.
No wonder they keep “tryin a ting”!
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