Storm disrupts LIAT flights
As if industrial action in Grenada wasn’t enough, LIAT has had to cancel and divert more flights because of Tropical Storm Emily.
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Wednesday August 3, 2011 - Already losing business as a result of industrial action by its workers in Grenada, LIAT has had to cancel and divert more flights as Tropical Storm Emily stirs up bad weather in some countries throughout its network.
Services were severely disrupted yesterday, with all flights to and from the US Virgin Islands, Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico cancelled.
There was also limited operation between St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Anguilla and Tortola.
“While LIAT is making every effort to recover the scheduled flights in the southern network, customers are advised that some services will be delayed due to disruptions caused by Tropical Storm Emily,” the company said in a press statement.
Emily has triggered a tropical storm warning for Haiti, neighbouring Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. A tropical storm watch for the U.S Virgin Islands has been discontinued, however.
LIAT said it would continue to monitor the weather situation and provide updates as the situation develops.
The flight disruptions are on top of the cancellations and rescheduling as a result of LIAT’s workers in Grenada going into a second week of a go-slow to demand US$2.2 million in overtime payments which they say is owed dating back to 1983.
Labour Minister Glynis Roberts and Tourism Minister Peter David yesterday met with LIAT officials and representatives of the Technical Allied Workers Union (TAWU) but the talks failed to reach a resolution.
TAWU president Senator Chester Humphrey has warned that it will become harder for LIAT the longer it refuses to pay what the union says it owes.
“We have extended the go slow and therefore we anticipate that significantly less than three flights will be moving in and three flights moving out of Grenada on the basis of the intensification of the go slow,” he said.
LIAT has released its schedule for today, indicating that LI 760/761 to and from Grenada has been cancelled and LI 303 will operate Barbados-Grenada service only, while LI 304 will only operate the Grenada-Barbados route.
LI 787, taking passengers from Barbados to Trinidad with a stop in Grenada, as well as the return flight LI 372, will operate as scheduled.
Additionally, LI 754 was retimed to depart Trinidad at 6:15am and operate non-stop to Barbados; LI 727 will operate non-stop from Barbados to Trinidad; and LI 726 will operate non-stop from Trinidad to Barbados. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)