Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has renewed his call for the creation of an Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) airline, arguing that persistent flight delays and cancellations are undermining connectivity between member countries. According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the appeal Thursday night during a ceremony marking the change in chairmanship of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council, held in Dominica.
"The need for an OECS airline is even more apropos today, recognising the frustrations of perpetual flight delays and cancellations among existing carriers," Browne said at the event.
The OECS comprises Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.
Browne described existing regional carriers as leaving travellers "stranded daily," drawing on his own recent experience. He said he missed the opening ceremony of the 51st Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit after spending six hours at Barbados's airport awaiting a connecting flight to Saint Lucia — a wait he said should have been one hour. Delays also affected his travel to Dominica, despite the use of a private charter.
"Even coming here to Dominica, even though we had a private charter, there were also delays. So we clearly have a problem when it comes to connecting OECS people," he said.
The Prime Minister warned that the situation could worsen as some international carriers scale back Eastern Caribbean services. He cited reports that British Airways intends to discontinue service to one OECS country and reroute passengers through Barbados instead.
"With these threats, we need now to provide proactive leadership and literally to put our money where our mouth is and to make sure that we develop mitigating strategies so that we do not get left behind," Browne said.
Under his proposal, the airline would be collectively owned by OECS member governments but privately operated and managed on commercial principles to ensure profitability and long-term sustainability. Browne was also explicit that the carrier would not serve as a perk for political leaders.
"No head will have the right to utilise this new airline as his or her private jet," he said.
In the same address, Browne highlighted an ECCB Monetary Council decision to permit the prudent use of a portion of dormant account balances held at the central bank for regional development initiatives. He stressed that depositors' rights would be fully protected and that lawful owners and beneficiaries would retain the right to reclaim their funds indefinitely — replacing a previous 30-year limitation period after which funds could have been forfeited.
"Let me be abundantly clear: we're not trying to steal your money," Browne said.
As outgoing Monetary Council chairman, Browne also commended ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine and the bank's staff, noting the institution recorded a profit of EC$121.6 million for the 2025–2026 financial year — a result he attributed to "prudent management and institutional excellence" that would allow for greater distribution of earnings to member governments.
Browne acknowledged that the OECS region had navigated a difficult global environment shaped by geopolitical tensions, shifting trade patterns, inflationary pressures and energy market volatility. He called on the region to convert its resilience into greater economic prosperity by strengthening local ownership and expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs.
"Our people must be positioned to control the commanding heights of the economies of our respective countries," he said, cautioning against over-reliance on foreign capital.
He also urged regional financial institutions to offer more favourable lending terms to small businesses, arguing that government-backed guarantees had sharply reduced lending risk.
"The risk is about 80 per cent guaranteed, which means they should reduce the interest rate and interest costs to borrowers," Browne said, adding that lower borrowing costs would boost regional production, create jobs and support private sector growth across the Eastern Caribbean.
