AIRBRIDGE BACK TO ‘NORMAL’

The pilots were back out to work yesterday following a meeting between Tobago Express officials and the pilots’ representative body on Sunday afternoon.

Tired and irate passengers yesterday flanked the standby counter at the airport as Sunday’s confirmed passengers became yesterday’s standby, when operations returned to normal.

Several had reportedly slept at the airport while the more fortunate ones opted to return to their homes or guest houses after entering their names on the standby list.

BWIA had provided additional flights but was reported to have cancelled the last three flights out of Crown Point at about 10:30 pm.

However tempers flared yesterday morning when passengers returned and were told that the "old standby list" had been cancelled and that they would have to register again.

"We have to suffer for something that is not even our fault. My family and I were here since yesterday morning and up to now we have not been given any proper information, or told anything about compensation or accommodation," Maraval resident Elizabeth Ahyee told Newsday. "This is the kind of unreliable, horrible service that they are providing and they are thinking about increasing the airfare? Nonsense!" she declared. Passenger Cheryl Farris of Chase Village argued that her job could be in jeopardy because of the delay.

"Imagine I should have been at work today and I don’t even know whether I would get on a flight to even go tomorrow.

Suppose I had an unreasonable boss?" she said.

Efforts to piggyback on the inter-island ferry’s additional midnight sailing were also unsuccessful for most as passengers were also put on a waiting list at the port.

By yesterday afternoon, the situation had become tenable as Tobago Express officials explained that four aircraft were servicing the domestic route with one dedicated to standby passengers only.