Passengers travelling from Trinidad to Tobago were forced to disembark a Caribbean Airlines aircraft following reports of a malfunctioning door.
But Caribbean Airlines has described the issue as minor and assured that the problem has been rectified. One irate passenger said the plane was supposed to leave Piarco Airport at 4.25 pm on Sunday but never left until some three hours later. When contacted, Dionne Ligoure, head of corporate communications of CAL, said the issue has been rectified.
“The aircraft in question...there was an issue with one of the doors. The aircraft has since been repaired and returned into service,” Ligoure said.
She said safety remained a number one priority not only for the airline but also for members of the public. “To that end we will do all that is necessary to ensure we comply with all regulations regarding safety and other checks. But I can assure the public it was a very simple element and the aircraft is back in service,” Ligoure added.
But one irate passenger said for far too often there have been problems when using the Tobago route, including long delays of flights. He said this was often aggravated during the July/August vacation when passengers including children were left stranded for hours without any proper explanation from CAL.
He said when he travelled to Tobago with his children in August last year, there was a similar issue with one of the doors.
“And not one person from Caribbean Airlines had the courtesy to tell passengers something. We were just sitting in the airport waiting and waiting,” the passenger added.
On the issue of overbooking, Ligoure said CAL operated a full schedule to Tobago and those who experienced difficulty at the airport did so because they had no confirmed bookings.
“Many people go to the airport on standby with an expectation to be put on a flight. Caribbean Airlines have been upgrading services when and wherever possible to accommodate the standby passengers,” Ligoure said.