(Trinidad Express) About 300 passengers on a Caribbean Airlines flight out of the JFK International Airport in New York, USA, who were stranded there since last Friday were due to finally arrive home early this morning.
Caribbean Airlines corporate communications head Clint Williams said on a live telephone interview during the TV6 News broadcast last evening that the delay of the flight, BW501 was the result of “a mechanical problem” experienced over “the last couple of days” with a Boeing 767 aircraft leased from a leasing company.
“We have now been able to secure another aircraft from the company and I can confirm that that aircraft is being positioned to New York as we speak. It will be leaving at (10.30 p.m. T&T time) and arriving in Trinidad tomorrow morning (today) at 2.25 a.m.,” Williams said.
He said arrival time at the Piarco International Airport “may have consequences on” flight BW 100 scheduled to leave Piarco International for JFK today.
A caller told TV6 News that passengers at Piarco International had been waiting since last Friday to leave for New York.
The daughter of a couple who are among the affected passengers, called the TV6 newsroom to relay information she received from her parents.
Asking not to be identified, she said the flight out of JFK, BW501, was originally scheduled to depart yesterday at 11 a.m. local time.
The caller said she was told the passengers received a call saying they were to leave at 3.55 p.m. instead due to a flight delay.
The caller said, however, at the boarding gate they were later informed that CAL leased an Omni Airways aircraft which had technical difficulties that were being addressed.
The caller said a subsequent departure time last evening was not honoured and the airline offered hotel vouchers which some passengers took.
The caller also said she was told some of the affected passengers became rowdy due to the inordinate delay and, as a result, about 200 of them were escorted out of the boarding area by New York City police officers.
