Passengers entering, leaving Guyana stranded as CAL cancels over 20 flights

…says pilots stage ‘sickout’; Pilots Association denies strike action

Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) on Sunday cancelled some two dozen flights to and from destinations in the Caribbean and North America after a large number of pilots called in sick.

There were 23 flights to and from countries in the Caribbean as well as the United States and Canada that were affected.
Among the 23 flights that were cancelled on Sunday were five flights to and from Guyana. In addition to these flights, another 14 domestic flights between Trinidad and Tobago were also cancelled.
In a brief travel alert advisory on its Facebook page, CAL explained that there were “…disruptions to its operations for August 20 due to cockpit crew constraints.”
“The airline is experiencing delays and cancellations to many of its international and domestic services. Affected customers are being advised and will be re-accommodated on the first available services,” it added.
When contacted on Sunday, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Colonel Egbert Field said he spoke with the senior management of CAL earlier in the day about the issue.
“I understand there were some passenger disruptions. Caribbean Airlines outlined that they are having some human resources issues and they are trying to correct those issues. They said they will keep us informed,” Field explained.
In the meantime, the airline indicated that they are working to address the matter and are putting things in place to minimise the disruptions to passengers and accommodate affected passengers.
“They recognise the problems that the issues is causing,” the GCAA Head told this newspaper.
Asked what arrangements are being put in place; Field related that this was not detailed by the airline officials.
“They just said that they are putting things in place and accommodating their passengers wherever they are located and in whatever form it can be done… They did not define what form of assistance or alternative systems will be put in place,” he noted.
Moreover, the GCAA Director was unable to say whether the flight cancellations would be rolled over to today.
“I enquired [about timeline for delays] but they were unable to say,” Field stated.
In a statement on its website, Caribbean Airlines explained that the disruptions stemmed from a large number of its pilots calling in sick.
“Today, there has been a remarkably high volume of calls from pilots reporting that they are unwell and unable to report for duty. These calls come in at approximately three (3) hours prior to flight departure times… As a result of the sick calls, Caribbean Airlines has had to cancel several flights,” the airline stated.
According to CAL, it is currently in negotiations with the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) over a collective agreement for the period 2015-2018.
However, the Airline Pilots Association said on Sunday that it is unaware of any strike action being taken by the pilot body.
An article published by the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian said that TTALPA has denied that the cancellations were due to the pilots’ actions.
“TTALPA and its members therefore refute the allegations of [a local] news article and ensure the public that its members continue to fly with their safety and best interests at heart,” the release said.
According to the T&T Guardian, TTALPA said its association is prohibited by law from taking industrial action as their members are deemed “essential workers”.
Meanwhile, CAL said in its statement on Sunday that its Reservations Service Centre is actively working to contact all affected customers. It noted that due to the number of individuals impacted, this process is currently ongoing.
The airline also urged persons to check online for their flight status and those with cancelled flights are being asked not to turn up to the airport.
“We want to emphasise that if your flight is cancelled, there is no need for you to head to the airport until we have contacted you with information about your new flight date and time. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to resolve these unexpected challenges and provide the necessary support to our affected customers,” the airline said. (G8)