Mickela Panday says a planned rise in domestic airbridge fares will deepen household pressure, warning Tobago residents rely on the service for essentials and affordability.
Politics
A proposed increase to domestic airbridge fares has triggered fresh criticism, with Mickela Panday warning the move could widen financial pressure on everyday families.
Panday, the political leader of the Patriotic Political Front, said citizens are already dealing with rising costs of living, and that a plan to introduce unsubsidised flights on the Trinidad–Tobago route would add another layer of strain.. Her comments came after the Trade, Investment and Tourism Minister Satyakamal Maharaj said peak-period travel could cost passengers between $960 and $1,000 for flights operated via Caribbean Airlines.
The proposal, as described by the minister, is part of a wider consideration of how the domestic airbridge should be run, particularly during high-demand periods.. Panday argued that the government’s direction risks normalising higher charges at a time when many households are struggling with affordability.. “Everything going up except opportunity,” she said, pointing to what she described as increasing household pressure, new charges, and a worsening cost of living.
Central to Panday’s concern is the question of whether fare hikes are justified given Caribbean Airlines’ financial performance.. She pointed to an operating profit of US$12.1 million in 2024, following US$24.7 million in 2023, and also referenced reported profitability growth in the first quarter of 2026, which she said increased by 66 per cent year-on-year to about US$9 million.
From her perspective, the issue is not only the fare amount but the fairness of asking passengers to pay more when the airline is showing improvements.. “So, the question facing every citizen is simple, if the airline is recovering, why are the people being asked to pay more?” Panday said.. She suggested that the public is being asked to carry costs while the rationale for that transfer of burden remains unclear.
Panday also warned that the impact would fall unevenly, especially on Tobagonians.. She framed the airbridge as an essential national service rather than a discretionary convenience, arguing that higher travel costs could reduce access to work, health care, education, banking, and government services.. Her message was direct: Tobago is not a foreign destination, and the route exists to connect the two islands for daily needs.
She further said Tobago’s economic well-being is tied to affordability and availability.. “When travel becomes unaffordable, Tobago’s economy suffers,” Panday said, adding that most visitors to Tobago come from Trinidad.. If fewer people can make the trip, she argued, the downstream effects could be felt in tourism and other businesses that rely on steady inter-island movement.
Beyond the question of fares, Panday accused the government of failing to provide meaningful relief after years of opposition.. She criticised the administration’s approach as punishment for the public rather than support, arguing that experience should have produced stronger planning and readiness to govern.. In her view, the better path would be to improve operations instead of increasing costs paid by passengers.
She argued that the focus should be on reducing waste, improving efficiency, expanding capacity, and modernising operations—changes she says would help keep travel affordable.. Her broader political message aimed to separate leadership from pricing decisions: “Leadership is not measured by how much more you can charge the people.. Leadership is measured by how well you can serve them.”
For many residents, inter-island travel is not just about leisure or short breaks; it often determines how families manage employment schedules, medical appointments, and education.. If peak fares move higher, the pressure could become most visible during holiday periods and busy travel months—when demand is already high and choice is limited.. That is the core anxiety behind Panday’s warning: even incremental fare changes can reshape who can travel, and when, with consequences that ripple into household budgets and island economies.