ANOTHER IRISH-BACKED, low-cost airline is about to take off, this time in the Caribbean.
After a couple of false starts in the recent past, Irish businessmen Ian Burns and co-founder Robbie Burns look set to launch an inter-island, low fares carrier in the sun-kissed region.
Called Redjet, it is based in Barbados, where it gained its air operators certificate.
Redjet plans to operate flights to Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, with services starting on May 8th.
Redjet has two 149-seater MD-82 aircraft, two more on order and 82 staff. Its fares will start at $9.99.
“What we are bringing is a revolution in terms of low air fares,” Burns told Caribbean Business Report recently.
“The region has always suffered from high fares that makes travelling prohibitive.
“Right now only 10 per cent of the people of the Caribbean fly . . . that is a very low statistic.”
Ian Burns tried to launch an airline out of Jamaica, with Leslie Buckley on board as a backer, but it failed to get off the ground.
Let’s hope he has better luck this time around.