Prime Minister Gaston Browne has renewed his call for the creation of a dedicated regional airline serving the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), urging fellow heads of government to champion the initiative and override resistance from within their own bureaucracies.
According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the appeal on Sunday during his inaugural address as chairman of the OECS Authority, arguing that improved air connectivity is essential for deepening economic integration, facilitating trade and strengthening ties across the sub-region.
"On air connectivity, I have already advanced a proposal for OECS Air, a dedicated sub-regional carrier leveraging the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's unclaimed deposits and possibly the EU Interreg funding," Browne told regional leaders gathered in Antigua.
The Prime Minister pointed to approximately US$50 million in unclaimed deposits held within the Eastern Caribbean banking system as a potential source of financing for the venture. "These are deposits that people have not requested for over 20, 30 years. They're sitting there, they're not being employed. These should be invested for the joint benefit of the OECS people," he said.
Browne argued that inadequate transportation links remain one of the most significant barriers to regional integration. "A region that cannot move its people efficiently and effectively cannot integrate commercially," he said. "I want my colleague heads to understand the importance of having a reliable airline so that we can move people and even move goods within the sub-region and beyond."
The Antiguan leader used the occasion to appeal directly to his OECS counterparts, suggesting that opposition from within government bureaucracies must not be allowed to stall the proposal. "I am aware that there are low-level individuals in their respective governments who are fighting this proposal. But you need to lead," he said. "This should be a decision of the heads."
"There should be no more hesitation in acting for what we know is right," Browne added.
Drawing on the legacy of previous Caribbean leaders, Browne challenged his contemporaries to demonstrate the same institutional vision. "Our forebears made decisions and created institutions that are sustaining," he said. "Why can't we, in the 21st century, with far more resources, establish a sustaining airline, OECS Air, for the benefit of OECS people and the Caribbean region in general?"
Browne insisted that the region has both the financial and technical capacity to establish such a carrier, and that the primary obstacle is political commitment. "What it requires is political will," he said. "And I have no doubt that the will is there."
He urged leaders to look past anticipated criticism and focus on the broader public interest. "Notwithstanding all of the chatter that will come from low-level officials, let us avoid the noise and make the best decision in the best interest of the people of the OECS," Browne said.
The Prime Minister also suggested that a successful OECS airline could serve as a model for wider Caribbean integration. "On the basis that we are able to connect our people, we will be able to show the broader CARICOM how it's done," he said.
The regional airline proposal formed part of a broader agenda outlined by Browne as he assumed the OECS chairmanship from St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday. His address also called for deeper regional integration, stronger economic cooperation and the creation of new institutions to address the challenges facing small island developing states.
