Trinidad and Tobago’s President, Christine Kangaloo, has made significant changes to the management structure of Caribbean Airlines, a state-owned carrier. The responsibility for the airline has been transferred from the Finance Ministry to the Transport Ministry, now under the control of Eli Zakour, the country’s transport and civil aviation minister.

In her announcement, Kangaloo stated, “I hereby remove from [Finance Minister] Davendranath Tancoo. the responsibility for matters relating to Caribbean Airlines. ” This shift in management structure is seen as an effort to better integrate aviation strategy in Trinidad and Tobago. Zakour, who is also a licensed commercial pilot, now oversees the country’s civil aviation and airport authorities.

Previously, Caribbean Airlines had been under the control of the Finance Ministry for over a decade. Tancoo, in an interview with the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, stated that the move to the transport ministry is “a logical and practical one,” as the airline is “more appropriately placed in the [aviation] industry-related ministry.

The carrier is mostly owned by the Trinidad and Tobago government, with a small minority stake held by the Jamaican government. Caribbean Airlines operates out of bases in both Trinidad and Tobago, where it is headquartered, and in Jamaica.

According to data from CAPA – Centre for Aviation, the airline currently has nine Boeing 737-800s and nine ATR 72-600s in its active fleet. It operates approximately 600 weekly flights, serving destinations throughout the Caribbean and four North American cities: Miami, New York John F. Kennedy, Orlando, and Toronto Pearson. It also offers flights to Guyana, Suriname, and the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in South America.

In a statement to the media in Trinidad and Tobago, Zakour emphasized that his priority is to address the airline’s financial challenges, improve operational efficiency, and enhance service delivery to customers. These changes in management come at a time when Caribbean Airlines is facing increased fuel costs. To counter this, the airline has implemented fuel surcharges ranging from $15 to $25, depending on the route.

Caribbean Airlines stated that the surcharge does not fully cover the increase in fuel expenses and that the airline is absorbing a significant portion of these costs to minimize the impact on customers. Zakour’s goal is to strengthen the airline’s role in national, regional, and international connectivity while addressing financial challenges and improving service quality for passengers.