Port of Spain, Trinidad – Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has warned that state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) could face management shake-ups — or even closure — unless it becomes profitable within two years.
Speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) meeting Monday night, Persad Bissessar said CAL has not produced an audited financial statement in nine years despite paying millions to accounting firms. She claimed that “not one single Caribbean Airlines route is profitable,” despite high passenger loads.
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“I am giving the management of Caribbean Airlines two years, max, to sort out the mess; otherwise, everyone there will be looking for a new job… your future is in your hands,” she declared, vowing to end taxpayer bailouts for underperforming state enterprises.
The prime minister criticized CAL’s executives for collecting “large salaries for failing in their jobs” and insisted the government will no longer subsidize persistent losses.
Since 2023, CAL has expanded to new destinations including Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Tortola as part of its 2023–2027 strategic plan. The airline carried over two million passengers in both 2023 and 2024. CMC
