Chief Sec happy for more carnival flights, wants pro-active CAL in 2026

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine - Photo by Visual Styles

THREE days before the official start of the Tobago carnival festivities, 3,200 seats have been added to the airbridge to get masqueraders, artistes and the general public to and from the island.

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) has confirmed the additional seats to the existing stock, supplementing the 18,792 seats already available from October 22-29. This includes the introduction of an additional Boeing 737 aircraft to support the airbridge, thereby helping to ease travel congestion and ensure that more citizens and visitors can journey to Tobago for the festivities.

Speaking with the media at the Shaw Park Complex on October 21. Augustine expressed relief, “It has been worked out and I must say thanks to Minister (Davendranath) Tancoo and the (CAL) board.”

Stakeholders had earlier complained that people had made bookings for the annual festival but could not get to the island.

Augustine added, “The bandleaders were able to secure the seats for their bands. I think they are now paying for their tickets and so on because bandleaders have had masqueraders without flights to the island, so that matter has been resolved.”

He said he had been advocating for additional flights for over a month.

"I wrote CAL last month – well, I wrote the minister since last month before he presented the budget. I wrote, so we just followed it up with telephone calls. The Tobago representative on the CAL board is Miss Alicia Edwards – Miss Alicia Edwards who was at TTAL (Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd) previously – and I know she worked on ensuring that the necessaries were done.”

Augustine said he hopes CAL takes a pro-active approach in the future for major Tobago events.

“I’ve also asked that they work early in 2026 so that throughout the year when there are high traffic periods, it shouldn’t be every time there is a high-traffic period the Chief Sec must write or call somebody. I want them to work it out for the entire year.

"We know we have a high-traffic season for Easter – plan and put on the flights beforehand.

"We know we have a high-traffic season for Tobago carnival in October – it’s done before.

"We know we’ll have a high-traffic period between July-August – it’s done before.”

In a media release on October 21, the Office of the Chief Secretary said this development followed advocacy by Augustine; Tobago West MP Joel Sampson; Tobago East MP David Thomas; and Secretary with responsibility for Culture and Antiquities Zorisha Hackett.

The Office also credited Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar; line minister Tancoo; Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour; and the CAL board for the "tangible improvement in airlift to the island during one of its most celebrated cultural events."

At a media conference on October 16, Hackett said the THA had been unable to make significant gains on securing additional flights to the island. Hackett said masqueraders and even artistes are finding it difficult to get to Tobago for the annual October carnival, which officially gets under way from October 24-26.

This followed calls by president of the Tobago October Carnival Association (TOCO) Dexter Sandy, who said he was hopeful that additional means of transportation on both the airbridge and seabridge would be realised in time for the event.

At that time, Sandy made an appeal to the Assembly for assistance, noting that one of the things that the bandleaders would hold the Assembly accountable for is support in getting more masqueraders to the island.