WINAIR aims for improved relations with traveling public

By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-WINWARD ISLANDS AIRWAYS (WINAIR) Managing Director, Edwin Hodge, stated in a press conference Monday (Sept. 22) that the air carrier hopes to establish a “closer and long term working relationship” with the governments and people of the Eastern Caribbean as they move forward with expansion plans.

Hodge cited this month’s closure of Carib Aviation and “a number of airlines…desperately working to save closing their office doors” as his company’s reasons for attempting to preserve and improve their services in countries like St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.

“WINAIR believes that air travel is no longer a luxury, but a critical means of necessity,” Hodge said before explaining that WINAIR is actively pursuing new travel agreements with many of the countries who have lost routes in the past year.

Among the carrier’s initiatives to improve service was the launch of a company newsletter for its employees to keep them abreast of the ever changing air travel and customer service market.

“What we have recognized over the years is that with rumors and myths being quick to get into the airs of the public, it creates undue fares and concerns. Therefore, we anticipate that with a better communication link for the dissemination of information to our staff and the general public we will be able to eliminate this problem,” Hodge said.  ~~Adz:Right~~

He added that WINAIR would be seeking a closure relationship with the media across the Eastern Caribbean in order to better inform the traveling public.

As a first step toward a greater level of communication, Hodge said that WINAIR would soon be bringing the public up to date on its 2009 planned ‘Safety Management System’.

Though no details of the safety plan were revealed at the press conference, Hodge said, “Safety and service go hand-in-hand, and so we intend to keep the public informed of this new initiative via the monthly newsletter and the media houses.”

The WINAIR executive’s visit to St. Kitts-Nevis marks the first in a series of stops throughout the Eastern Caribbean to better explain the airline’s expansion plans. Future press conferences are planned for Antigua, St. Maarten and Dominica.