By Elesha George
Billionaire and Special Economic Envoy for Antigua and Barbuda, Calvin Ayre has categorically denied the allegation that he is “seeking to sabotage Caribbean Helicopters or seeking to force it into a stalemate” as has been stated by the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caribbean Helicopters Limited (CHL).
Tanner Jones told OBSERVER media on the weekend that Ayre, who owns Plot 100 at the VC Bird International Airport, “had illegally taken the hangar back” and “were doing things and pushing Caribbean Helicopters out.”
But in a press statement triggered by an article published in The Daily OBSERVER on September 23rd 2019, the Ayre group said that it is CHL and not his company, which is illegally occupying the hangar.
“Caribbean Helicopters has illegally occupied Luxury Hangar’s property at the V.C. Bird International Airport over the past 9 months and has demonstrated a brazen disregard of the rights of Luxury Hangar”, the statement read, adding that CHL is now “attempting to create a smokescreen to divert attention from the real issues at hand which relate to its insurmountable debts”.
“With the abandonment of its Fort Road Office and the loss of its operating licence and airport passes, Luxury Hangar was of the opinion that the Caribbean Star Hangar, on which Caribbean Helicopters has no lease and for which it pays no rent, was equally abandoned. Given the recent threats of storms and hurricanes, Luxury Hangar took physical possession of its hangar on 14th September, 2019 in an effort to safeguard its asset.”
In fact, the Ayre group said the original article contained “many untruths, inaccuracies and misrepresentations” and appears to be designed to cause irreparable harm to Ayre’s character and business reputation.
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