Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves demands regional talks about revenue distribution from Eastern Caribbean airspace management. Trinidad and Tobago controls the Piarco Flight Information Region and collects all profits from this vast aerial territory. The arrangement spans from Antigua southward to Trinidad and extends halfway across the Atlantic Ocean. Multiple independent Caribbean nations fall within these boundaries but receive no financial compensation. Gonsalves argues that this colonial-era system denies fair participation to affected countries.
The Prime Minister criticizes Trinidad and Tobago for maintaining exclusive control over airspace above sovereign territories. He points out that Barbados and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States members cannot access revenue from their aerial domains. The current structure lacks transparency regarding fund distribution and excludes neighboring governments from decision-making processes. French territories like Martinique and Guadeloupe operate under more equitable post-colonial agreements with Britain. Regional leaders plan to address this imbalance through upcoming Caribbean Community and OECS meetings.
The Prime Minister criticizes Trinidad and Tobago for maintaining exclusive control over airspace above sovereign territories. He points out that Barbados and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States members cannot access revenue from their aerial domains. The current structure lacks transparency regarding fund distribution and excludes neighboring governments from decision-making processes. French territories like Martinique and Guadeloupe operate under more equitable post-colonial agreements with Britain. Regional leaders plan to address this imbalance through upcoming Caribbean Community and OECS meetings.
