Less than two weeks after Dynamic Airways made its return to the local market, the carrier was yet again hit by a delay, this time due to a miscalculation which saw the plane veering off the runway.
Passengers were forced to seek accommodation in Guyana on Sunday evening when the New York-bound airplane they were in managed to make its way off of the taxiway as it prepared for takeoff at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri (CJIA).
Stabroek News was told that the 767 aircraft had been taxiing out and had been turning from the international ramp on to the taxiway when its right wheel slipped off the taxiway into the grass. Reports further indicated that the wheel became stuck in mud and engineers were quickly called in to clean and check the wheel.
When contacted yesterday, local representative of the airline Gerry Gouveia confirmed the incident and assured this newspaper that no one had been hurt. He further said that, due to safety concerns, the aircraft was shut down and the passengers taken off.
“If this was a regular vehicle, you would’ve driven it right back on the road but because it’s a plane we took no chances,” Gouveia said.
Gouveia further said that two pilots involved have been taken off of Dynamic’s flight service indefinitely, while another pilot was brought in to ferry the aircraft. He added that an internal investigation had been launched into the matter and stated his apologies to the passengers numerous times.
He added that passengers were offered accommodation and while some accepted, others chose to return to their families. They were also given an alternative flight time.
According to Gouveia, the flight was the first of Dynamic’s which had been on schedule for its 10 pm flight time. “I am disappointed in the incident because last night it [the aircraft] arrived at 7 and it was going out for the first time absolutely on time when this incident happened. But it’ll get back on schedule. We just have to catch up,” he said.
The stranded passengers were finally able to make their way out of Guyana around 1 pm yesterday, Gouveia said. He explained that though other times had been available before 1 pm, the time was decided upon based on the passengers’ fatigue level and what would be best for them. The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) was notified of the incident and investigations are ongoing.
Since its return in Guyana on November 22, Dynamic Airways had been plagued with a number of delays. Just last week, a flight scheduled for Thursday evening was delayed after the pilot decided not to fly given the icy conditions in New York. This was coupled with subsequent mechanical problems.
