Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL), which has been losing money, will now be under the Minister of Transport, Eli Zakour.
For years, CAL had been under the direction and management of the Minister of Finance. When the new Government came into office from May 1, 2025, CAL remained with the Minister of Finance, Davendranath Tancoo.
Even the CAL Board headed by attorney Reyna Knowlessar remained with Tancoo.
But Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC has decided that CAL would best be suited under the Minister of Transport. So she informed President Christine Kangaloo and the shift was made.
The change, which took effect on April 2, was published in an Extraordinary issue of the Trinidad and Tobago Gazette. It places oversight for the State-owned airline directly under the Transport Ministry as part of an adjustment to ministerial responsibilities.
Under the revised arrangement, Minister Zakour now holds responsibility for all matters relating to Caribbean Airlines Limited, in addition to his existing portfolio which includes civil aviation, air services agreements, airports, national transportation, traffic management, and motor vehicle registration and control.
The ministry also maintains oversight of several key state entities, including the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC), the Trinidad and Tobago Transport Board, and the Civil Aviation Authority.
Caribbean Airlines Limited joins National Helicopter Services Limited among the majority state-owned enterprises now aligned under the Transport Ministry.
The reassignment forms part of a broader effort to consolidate aviation-related functions within a single ministry, aimed at improving coordination and operational efficiency across the sector. In an effort to cut costs, CAL has had to shelve some of its routes.
