Former PG mayor urges Tropic Air to rethink flight cuts

By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Former Punta Gorda Mayor Ashton McKenzie is calling for a rethink on the discontinuation of flights to Punta Gorda.

In a public reflection, McKenzie questioned why flights were cut completely instead of reduced.

He argued that fewer flights would work if profit is the concern. Rather than running near empty flights, he suggested full or half full flights twice a day to help cover operating costs.

“Was this option explored or were we written off simply because it’s Punta Gorda?” he asked.

McKenzie warned the decision will ripple through Toledo’s economy. He said eco lodges whose guests arrive by plane could lose business as visitors choose other destinations over the long drive south.

He noted that while Tropic Air employs about seven people in PG, Copal Tree employs more than 200 whose livelihoods are on the line.

Businesses that rely on air shipping could also face delays in their production timelines, he said.

McKenzie proposed several options: reduce flights, promote Punta Gorda more as a destination, subsidize the cost of flights, engage Maya Island Air about resuming service, or combine these approaches.

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