The only Caribbean airline I know of currently about to start service to Gatwick and (still) politically mandated to operate to India, South Africa (and now Panama) is Caribbean Airlines, the national Airline Of Trinidad & Tobago owned by the Trinidad & Tobago government. They absorbed Air Jamaica several months ago.
The airline had changed their Chairman just over a year ago. The young incoming Chairman (an MBA, apparently from an institution named Harvard in Outer Turkmenistan) apparently took over a company with almost US$200 million in the bank, fired the CEO, and embarked on a "shopping spree" which actually reached almost half a billion US dollars, but which by public newspaper reports was expected to be well over US $3 billion.
With adverse remarks from his Minister, a few weeks ago the young Chairman petulantly subitted his resignation - for the fourth time, all by email - and this time it was accepted and they moved on.
He left an airline which still owes large amounts of money, is still unable to pay for seven out of nine ATR-72-600 aircraft ordered, is apparently unable to pay the leases on two 767 aircraft for the purpose of flying to Gatwick, had to wet lease two more 767s because of having only 120 minutes ETOPS, and the local Authority (AATT) apparently found themselves short as well with no trained officers to police the national airline on that type.
The new Chairman is an unqualified political appointee, so we don't expect anything to get any better. In fact, public rumour has it that - contrary to official government policy - he has already ordered a brand new US$100,000 Audi for his personal use.
But the airline's financing comes from a bottomless pocket (known as the "public trough") - the taxpayers of Trinidad & Tobago. As we say in the Caribbean, "No problem, man".
For full historical information on this airline (and all others operating in the Caribbean Basin) please see the Caribbean Regional Aviation Network...
• CRANe for the Caribbean :: Welcome, everyone!! •