(Trinidad Guardian) Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) flights in and out of Piarco International Airport were temporarily delayed yesterday afternoon. The airline said the delay stemmed from “manpower constraints at the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service”.
While the T&T Meteorological Service (TTMS) issues daily weather forecasts and climate information for the public, much of the TTMS’ operations focus on aviation. Twice daily, it produces a low-level significant weather chart which highlights areas of potentially hazardous weather, a graphic with low-level winds up to 24,000 feet and a list of updated Meteorological Aerodrome Reports (METARs) and Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs).
These reports and forecasts are coded messages, including current weather parameters such as temperature, cloud coverage and bases, visibility, winds, etc, with METARs issued at the top of the hour, while TAFs are issued every six hours.
Daily, the Met Office also issued the Aeronautical Forecast designated for low-flying aircraft below 10,000 feet near T&T in the Western Atlantic. It includes weather and marine information for the area, with detailed winds from the surface to 10,000 feet. All messages and forecasts are issued by the Synoptic Branch/Forecast Office of the TTMS and are heavily used by Air Traffic Control and pilots for safe operations of flights.
According to CAL yesterday in a series of social media posts, none of its flights was able to depart or land, including BW480 to Fort Lauderdale, BW484 to Georgetown, Guyana, BW1513 from Crown Point, Tobago, BW1514 to Crown Point, and BW435 from Castries, St Lucia.
Within two hours, CAL advised that its flight operations into and out of the Piarco International Airport had resumed with all relevant information received from the Met Office.
Guardian Media contacted Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales, the line minister for the TTMS, who said, “The matter was resolved,” and “operations are back to normal.”
Corporate Communications Manager for the TTMS Camille Hall-Graham said the issue stemmed from a lack of technical staff on duty, which was rectified. Upon further inquiry, she added that a situation like this has not happened in the history of the TTMS, as far as present staff were aware.
