Above: a LIAT plane

By Alexander Britell

LIAT CEO Ian Brunton has tendered his resignation, the company confirmed to Caribbean Journal on Monday.

The move comes during a period of struggle for the Caribbean’s regional airline, which recently begun a $100 million re-fleeting initiative.

A LIAT spokesman confirmed that Brunton had tendered his resignation. He told CJ that a formal statement would be issued on Wednesday by LIAT’s Board of Directors.

Above: Captain Ian Brunton

The news follows high-profile criticisms of the company from a number of parties in the Caribbean, including Dominica hotelier Gregor Nassief, who had called for Brunton’s resignation earlier this month, citing issues with service.

Brunton was appointed by LIAT’s Board of Directors in August 2012. A former pilot in the Royal Air Force and CEO of Caribbean Airlines, he succeeded Brian Challenger, who resigned from the company in the spring of 2012.

LIAT is owned by a group of Caribbean governments, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

It’s likely that the company’s board will still have to approve the resignation.