BWIA plane still in Miami — but passengers back in TT

BWIA passengers stranded in Miami on Tuesday were due to return home yesterday. However, the aircraft on which they were supposed to return is still in Miami, where it was seized on Tuesday. The 103 passengers were accommodated on two scheduled flights out of Miami, BWIA Communications Director Clint Williams said yesterday. They were stranded on Tuesday after BWIA’s Boeing 737 was seized by the aircraft’s owner International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) as it was preparing to fly to Trinidad.

The aircraft was seized because BWIA is behind on its payments to ILFC. Prime Minister Patrick Manning gave the airline a letter of comfort for $5 million on Tuesday but officials from BWIA and ILFC were up to yesterday still negotiating the release for the aircraft. ILFC owns six of BWIA’s seven aircraft and money owed on leases is part of the debt the airline has run up in the past few months. Government has promised a $116 million bailout for the cash strapped airline depending on certain conditions being met. Up until yesterday, no money had as yet been handed over.

BWIA’s board has been meeting with the inter-ministerial committee set up to manage the bailout. Among the conditions were new productivity measures and that the board would submit requirements for the return to Category I status. The Civil Aviation Bill, which contains the measures needed for Category I status, was due to be debated in the Senate on Tuesday but was not. Williams said the fact that Government was prepared to debate the Bill was “encouraging”.