The Caribbean region depends on the effective operation of airplanes and the airports they utilise. Few people across the globe would look upon most traditional commercial flights as displays of great efficiency, but the Caribbean has long been beset by challenges within the aviation sector. This is compounded by the fact that the region relies so heavily on aviation to feed its tourism industry and, in turn, that many irritations are not so much the result of unavoidable necessity, but red tape and other issues that are ripe for reform.
The good news, as we look to 2020 and the new decade ahead, is that a number of advances in operational approaches and technology are seeing strong and enduring change arrive on the scene.
Defining the Destination
Recent years have seen many nations around the Caribbean engage in airport upgrades, including developments in Eastern Caribbean countries like Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia. Unquestionably, glittering new amenities, as well as the media attention they generate globally, can deliver a real shot in the arm in activity. Nonetheless, as detailed prior in STAR Businessweek in ‘Preparing a Flight Path: A new airport and its supporting infrastructure’ (March 10, 2019), what makes a ‘great’ airport can be surprising.
Some transport hubs, like Singapore’s Changi Airport, are so beautiful that they become destinations in their own right, but airports which subscribe to ‘form follows function’ can still win acclaim too. It’s why otherwise inauspicious hubs, like Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, enjoy consistently strong growth in passenger numbers owing to a reputation for ease and efficiency.
Fortunately for customers, many upgrades in the aviation sector can be done in existing airlines and airports with little-to-no disruption to customers and flight schedules.
The Success of Caribbean Airlines
Late November brought news of Caribbean Airlines’ performance from January to September of this year, with an EBIT of US$ 17.92mn (TT$ 121mn). Although the overall profitability of the airline was hampered by its domestic losses, total revenue for the period was up 3.8%, with the implementation of new tech and enhanced cost management credited among the factors for this growth.
The launch of the airliners mobile app in June made mobile booking and flight updates easily accessible to passengers on the go. Caribbean Airlines’ partnership with Worldpay has been notable in this regard. Worldpay aided the airline in optimising point of sale payments for its cargo transport operations within the United States, alongside assisting the airline to combat fraudulent activity, helping save over US$ 1mn in operational costs.
Beyond upgrades in airline efficiencies on the ground, there is also the promise of advances in technology, and how it stands to benefit non-stop flights. This is something Caribbean Airlines cited as a boost to its performance, with 2019 seeing the announcement of non-stop flights between Port of Spain and Curaçao, and Kingston to Barbados. But there’s excitement about what lies beyond the region.
From the East to the West Indies
It may be tempting to think in 2019 that just about all air commute routes are already covered and optimised, but there is still ground to break and the promise of greater efficiency.
In November Qantas Airlines notably made the non-stop flight from London, UK to Sydney, Australia in 19 hours and 19 minutes. Although that is a long time for a typical Caribbean traveller accustomed to island hopping in just a few hours, a non-stop flight among this route is seen by many in aviation as a final frontier.
The growth of non-stop routes over longer distances doesn’t just add bragging rights to an airline’s marketing, but also enhances efficiency on the ground. Given the comparatively close proximity of Caribbean nations to one another, the growth of more non-stop flights is unlikely to rapidly alter airlines on the ground, but it could have a bearing on tourism growth generally.
Currently nine of the world’s top ten longest non-stop flights use a runway in the Asian region, with five of them landing at US airports. For Caribbean nations seeking to tap into the lucrative rising purchasing power of the Asian region, the growth of non-stop flights and the reduction of travelling time overall means more would-be travellers currently sitting in Hong Kong, Tokyo or New Delhi will look to a Caribbean vacation and no longer be deterred by the travel time.
Travelling with Baggage
The Caribbean family will always find some hurdles in its path when it comes to improving aviation efficiency. Travel here from the Americas and Europe, or even between islands, will require flights of substantial distance, and see planes land in many states with small economies that must pursue reforms cautiously given there is little room for loss on the nations’ balance sheet. It would be a mistake, however, to regard such hurdles as insurmountable or as reasons to avoid travelling the path at all.
As recent upgrades and advances show, substantial change is taking place in numerous areas across the commercial aviation sector. Such changes may take time to usher in, and more work certainly remains to be done but, when complete, it will be to the benefit of the Caribbean’s tourism industry and all in the region who long for a stronger and leaner aviation sector.
