Many passengers have been left stranded here as Copa Airlines has had to cancel a number of flights which it said was because of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max 9 planes.
However, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri says that none of the airlines that ply the Guyana route has been affected by the FAA notice, since the planes operating here are older models.
“We were not impacted by the FAA’s decision. The aircraft that operates here are up to the 737 -8 series, and not 9…,” CJIA Public Relations Officer, Shunza Samuels, told Stabroek News when contacted. She informed that the 737-8 series are operated by Caribbean Airlines and American Airlines which both have had scheduled flights since the FAA notice.
Regarding the cancellations, Samuels said that the airlines would have to explain the reasons as it was on their “operational” issues.
Boeing issued the grounding for safety checks, after a part of an Alaska Airlines plane blew off mid-air, forcing an emergency landing.
Copa Airlines passengers scheduled to travel at 3:45 this morning on Copa’s CM191 were sent a message regarding the cancellation, hours before planned departure.
“We regret to inform you that, due to preventive technical inspections following the recent Airworthiness Directive from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 6th, we are compelled to cancel your scheduled flight between tomorrow and Friday (January 10th, 11th, or 12th) in the next few hours,” the Panama-based airline said.
“This situation, beyond our control, has impacted our operations, resulting in the temporary suspension of 21 aircraft and the cancellation of a significant percentage of our flights. We are working tirelessly to minimize the impact on your itinerary, and later today, we will provide you with alternatives to resume your journey in an upcoming email,” it added.
Calls to the airlines customer support lines went unanswered.
At Copa’s Camp Street office, this newspaper was told that the FAA groundings were the reasons for the flight cancellations and some passengers booked to travel today would not be able to do so until Monday, at the earliest.
The airlines representatives made clear that they were not responsible for any cost incurred by the cancellations.
Refund options were given but the airline’s administration fees are charged.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need assistance or prefer not to travel, your ticket will retain its value for a future trip for one year from the date of issuance. We are here to help; you can contact us through our call centers. Additionally, we invite you to check for any changes in your itinerary on copa.com or through our app. alternatively, if you prefer, you can request a refund,” Copa said.
“The safety of our passengers and crews is our top priority. We trust that we can regain your confidence in future flights with us and continue to serve you as we normally do,” it added.
On January 6, AviationSource News reported that an airline representative told the outlet it had grounded 21 planes in its fleet. “Copa Airlines informs that, following the Airworthiness Directive issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it has temporarily suspended the operations of twenty-one (21) 737 MAX9 aircraft, as per the mentioned directive, until they undergo the required technical inspection.”
“Copa has initiated the necessary technical inspections and expects to return these aircraft safely and reliably to the flight schedule within the next 24 hours. The airline’s team is working to minimize the impact on our passengers, although some delays and cancellations are expected due to this situation beyond the airline’s control. Copa Airlines will make every effort to provide timely information and support to passengers affected by this situation,” it added.
