Talk:BWIA West Indies Airways

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Aviation: Defunct airlines

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New airline[edit]

I think that it would be absolutely unacceptable to redirect BWIA and BWIA West Indies Airways to Caribbean Airlines. It has been made quite clear to all and sundry that BWIA has ceased to exist and that Caribbean Airlines is a new airline. Therefore, let BWIA get the respect it deserves by having its own listing, while preventing the startup from resting on the laurels of BWIA's achievements.

I saw that article too but "Caribbean Airlines"??? I think the plan will probably confuse non-Caribbean people with the similarly named Caribbean Star airlines or Caribbean Sun airlines. All three brands are too close. It would be tantamount to having a new mobile company called "Digi-Cellular" or "BMore Mobile" entering the market. It could make-for increased confusion. Additionally with the World Cup in the spring of next year is it truely possible to have this new airline quickly formed- (from zero in January) and into a fully accredited U.S. FAA airline in the skies ready to go by Cricket World Cup time next year??? CaribDigita 18:26, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The name might be a poor choice, but presumably this is just BWIA + LIAT under yet another reorganisation plan. Probably hope to inherit BWIA's accreditation, etc, so probably won't count as "from zero" - at least they assume it won't. Guettarda 18:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I started an article on Caribbean Airlines. It needs significant updating. sylveStter 23:14, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually Caribbean Airlines is just BWIA under a new name and reorganization plan. LIAT is supposed to join with Caribbean Star to make a new airline (hopefully one with a name that won't be confused with Caribbean Airlines).72.27.92.21 21:17, 6 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

By the way, I take it when the changeover is complete, that the BWIA article will still be kept (but with the tense of the article changed to the past tense)? I certainly hope its information won't be cut from this article and pasted into Caribbean Airlines and then have this page become a redirect (like what happened for the Serbia-Montenegro football team article).72.27.92.21 21:20, 6 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mis-spelled name[edit]

This article is misnamed. It is a re-naming of the BWIA West Indies Airlines page to correspond with the re-launch of the airline which took place on the 1 January 2007. However, the re-namer misspelled Caribbean.

To confuse matters further, there is another article called, correctly, Caribbean Airlines which does not, however, contain the history of BWIA. This article ('Carribean Airlines) ought to revert to its former name BWIA West Indies Airlines. How is this done? 81.86.156.239 18:46, 3 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I do not agree about a revert. As a travel agent, the Worldspan reservation system has sent a message through travel agencies that BWIA has changed its name to Caribbean Airlines. The move to Carribean Airlines has a spelling mistake... I did the move.. my mistake!! Both articles should be merged. Maltesedog 21:08, 3 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wait, what are you proposing be merged? CaribDigita 01:37, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Carribean Airlines with Caribbean Airlines. On 1st January 2007, BWIA changed its name to Caribbean Airlines. They are effectively the same airline. Maltesedog 07:47, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Caribbean Airlines is NOT a rebranding or renaming of BWIA.

It's a brand new, totally separate entity. This was made very clear in 2006 before wrapping up. CAL's history started in 2007. Partylap (talk) 12:54, 15 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Right, but in terms of a historical context I think an article on BWIA should be kept.... BWIA is an importaint part of Caribbean history, esp. in the era of the British West Indies Federation. It is not even known if Caribbean Airlines will be around for very long....

CaribDigita 16:47, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

In fact Caribbean Airlines, took over the IATA and ICAO code of BWIA. Maltesedog 07:50, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

it is a separate legal entity. i do not agree that the articles should be merged. it is not a name change. one company shut down. a new company commences. with new staff etc. (Unsigned)

It is more like a takeover, because, the same IATA code is being kept Maltesedog 20:02, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I just think this is the way PNM Administration handles workers they want to retrench... The process of BWIA changing to Caribbean Airlines is *exactly* like when the PNM shut down the government-owned TTT channel and opened the government-owned the NCC 4 channel instead the very next day.

As far as Caribbean Airlines goes about *still--* using the same callsign "West Indian" I've heard it said that it is because of all the callsigns they could think-of were already taken.... As seen in the Trinidad and Tobago Express HERE, HERE and HERE CaribDigita 20:35, 4 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I fail to disagree. Why did the notice appear on Worldspan that BWIA "has changed its name" to Caibbean airlines. Why was it done this way? Maltesedog 07:43, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Trinidad and Tobago like Britain, and much of the other English-speaking countries in the West Indies believe in maintaining societal safety-nets for the public. It has been that way since the 1950's-1960's when every leader in the region set-off on their own path of raising development in their own country. BWIA from what I've followed in the news was having to pay retirement, severances, and other obligations costing the firm quite a bit of money.... The govenment especially hated being bound by all sorts of "packages" for people who once worked for the airline. So, in order to cease all old deals, the Government quitely shut down the old "entity" and opens a new one basically wiping out all past obligations. The current government has reformed I think all of the major state agencies in the country.

Including:

Caroni 1975 Ltd. -- The entity which was in charge of Sugar Cane production.
The Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad & Tobago ("Tid-Co")
TTT was shut and re-opened as NCC 4.
And now BWIA (legally) closes and morphs into Caribbean Airlines choosing to re-hire many of the same workers that were with the old state airline BWIA. CaribDigita 00:56, 6 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Caribbean Airlines is a new airline. According to Flight International (27 March 2007) BWIA was "replaced by a new flag carrier, Caribbean Airlines". Ardfern 17:56, 28 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

New or not? This is a matter for debate. Caribbean Airlines says its new because the Government gave BWIA US$million to get rid of the unions in BWIA. The Unions are claiming its BWIA with another name and the question of successorship is currently before the Industrial Court in T&T. It's yet to be formally determined. - Dave Smith 12:45, 23 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Correct Town name[edit]

Just for information purposes, Tunapuna-Piarco is not a town or city, but an electoral region comprising of several towns and villages. Therefore, BWIA was in fact based in Piarco. Partylap (talk) 12:47, 15 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]