By Sue-Ann Wayow
MORE than $15 million have already been spent by state-owned Caribbean Airlines on recovery flights following sick-out action by pilots last weekend.
More money will be churned out to refund all passengers who were affected said Caribbean Airlines chief executive officer Garvin Medera who said some 5,000 passengers were affected.
On Thursday, Medera held a press conference to address the situation which forced the airline to file an injunction against the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) which was done reluctantly, he said.
He admitted that customers would have had a terrible experience and they would expect better service from an airline.
“We absolutely felt the pain of customers,” Medera said.
He said, “Once people have been affected and they would like a refund, they will be granted their refunds, if they have incurred specific costs, we will absolutely examine it and look to support that in that regard. We are also providing credits to all passengers affected.”
The background to the sick-out action was negotiations with TTALPA, CAL’s CEO said.
“For the past few months, Caribbean Airlines has been in negotiations with the pilots’ union about additional pay rises for pilots. For a number of years, including through the pandemic, pilots have received an annual increment to their salary,” Medera explained.
Agreements were yet to be reached with the three entities, the union, CAL’s board and the Ministry of Finance that is also the airline’s line ministry.
Based on an agreement in 2015, Medera said pilots received an annual increment of three per cent.
He said, “The pay rises that we are negotiating for is above the increases that these pilots would have received every year since 2016 till present.”
Medera is hopeful that negotiations can be settled amicably and that a similar situation does not re-occur.
Pilots began calling in sick on Friday, 20 to be exact and 19 called in sick on Saturday, Medera said. Flights on those days were delayed but not cancelled.
But on Sunday, the airline had to choice but to cancel flights as 54 pilots called in sick on Sunday with minimal notice, he said causing the cancellation of 60 flights from Sunday.
For persons travelling to and from Tobago, there were additional ferry sailings.
