The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines owes airline JetBlue more than EC$10 million under an agreement entered into by the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration, Tourism Minister Kishore Shallow told Parliament on Thursday.
Shallow made the disclosure in Parliament on Thursday while responding to opposition senator Keisal Peters, who had asked about Delta Air Lines’ decision to end its non-stop service between Atlanta and Argyle International Airport in September 2026.
The minister did not provide a breakdown of the alleged debt, say precisely when the obligation was incurred, identify the services covered by the agreement, or state whether the government had begun repayment negotiations with JetBlue.
But he said the outstanding sum was among financial liabilities inherited by the New Democratic Party administration, which came to office in November.
“JetBlue, for example, [is a] very important airline to St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Shallow said.
“We entered in an agreement … and from 2024 to when you demitted office, you refused to pay your bill, resulting in us owing that airline over $10 million today.”
Shallow criticised the manner in which the agreement was negotiated, saying he did not know who represented the government in the talks but asserting that no professional organisation or consultant had been involved.
All three members of the opposition, including former tourism minister Senator Carlos James, were present in Parliament but did not respond directly to Shallow’s statement about the JetBlue debt.
The remarks were part of a broader government response on airlift, following Delta’s announcement that it would discontinue its Atlanta-Argyle route.
Shallow said government officials held two meetings with Delta — on May 19 and July 31 — before the carrier’s announcement.
He said Delta cited passenger demand falling short of projections, elevated fuel costs and weaker demand for premium travel as factors in its decision.
However, the tourism minister said the airline had indicated a willingness to consider resuming some level of service for the next winter season, albeit not necessarily at the frequency with which it began operations.
Delta started the route on Dec. 20, 2025, with a plan for 22 flights per month, Shallow said.
He described that schedule as ambitious when compared with other carriers operating fewer monthly flights.
The minister said Delta’s average arriving passenger load rose from 64 passengers in its first three months of service to 117 passengers over the most recent three-month period.
He said JetBlue’s average arriving passenger count also grew, from 114 in the first three months of the government’s term to 140 in the most recent three months.
The minister argued that the figures showed growth in visitor traffic, while maintaining that the government was working to strengthen the destination’s tourism and aviation position.
He said the government is restructuring the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority, including appointing Shafia London as the new CEO, and creating senior roles in commercial development, marketing, tourism product and experience, quality intelligence and strategy, and internal operations.
Shallow also said the government had started re-engaging existing airlines and was in discussions with two potential new carriers.
Airlines, he said, are also concerned about the availability of hotel rooms — commonly referred to as room stock — and the government is seeking to address that issue.
He projected that SVG would secure at least five major brand-name hotels within the government’s first two five-year terms.