CAL stranded passengers on their way to US

Laura Asbjornsen, Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) Head of Corporate Communications said the airline was still battling with the after-effects of the snowstorm.

Flight BW522 was expected to leave Piarco for JFK International at 3.30 pm on Thursday but was delayed to midnight yesterday.

One hundred and forty-eight passengers were affected. Several returned to their homes and family while 100 passengers opted to be put up at Crowne Plaza on Wrightson Road Port-of- Spain at CAL’s expense.

In a release from CAL dated December 28, the airline said it hoped to consolidate operations on a wet lease wide body aircraft to assist in the recovery process.

However, Asbjornsen yesterday stated that the leased 767 aircraft had “some maintenance problems” and the airline was waiting on a part to arrive from the US.

“We are doing everything we can but it’s out of our hands,” said Asbjornsen. “We know people want to get to their destinations but safety is our main concern. Repairs should take an hour after the part arrives and as soon as the 767 is up and running, we hope to leave Piarco.”

Asbjornsen said flights to Piarco seem to be running smoothly except for one or two delays caused by the backlog of passengers.