BWIA passengers cry at airport

Scores of irate passengers of flight BW900 bound for England, yesterday threatened to sign a petition to BWIA officials and the British High Commission following a 19-hour flight delay at Piarco International Airport. Flight BW900, which was scheduled to depart Trinidad at 7.30 pm on Friday, was delayed because of technical problems and eventually left for Heathrow International Airport via Antigua at 4.30 pm yesterday. Sunday Newsday received several calls from passengers who complained of BWIA’s failure in providing plausible reasons for the flight’s delay.

One passenger said that passengers were told that the aircraft “had a fault, and that the crew’s flying time had expired.” Another said that passengers were told that the flight was delayed because of a “curfew” in London, England. A Trinidadian who resides abroad, Theresa Brooks, said she was fearful of losing her job due to the delay. “First we were told that the flight had been overbooked and they were making attempts to reseat us. After hours of waiting, we did get on a plane only to be told that we had to get off because the plane was not leaving for England,” Brooks said. Among the passengers was a wheelchair-bound young woman who had suffered a brain tumour and is crippled.

As a result of the delay, passengers received meal vouchers and had to overnight at hotels, which BWIA arranged. When contacted, communications officer for BWIA, Dionne Ligoure said that flight BW900 was delayed because of “technical problems with the aircraft and not overbooking.” She said that only one Airbus services the Piarco to Heathrow International Airport route, with one flight daily. “It’s a four-engine plane and the only one we could use to service that air route. Additionally, there is only one crew and they had to get their mandatory rest. But of the 25 airplanes that operate, this is the one flight that was delayed. All other flights left on time. However, we are working to rectify the situation,” Ligoure said.