Port-of-Spain, Trinidad:--- Caribbean Airlines applied for and was granted an injunction by the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago on August 21, 2023 which restricts the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) and its membership from taking industrial action within the meaning of the Industrial Relations Act of Trinidad and Tobago Chapter 88:01 including calling in sick en masse.
The injunction further restricts those pilots who engaged in industrial action by calling in sick en masse, from further doing so. Finally, the injunction further ordered TTALPA to instruct its membership to immediately report for duty as rostered and required in the normal course of their employment with Caribbean Airlines.
The full order is attached for your information.
Caribbean Airlines sought the support of the Industrial Court after receiving calls from 75 pilots between August 19 and 20, 2023, each indicating they were unwell and unable to report for duty. The airline received each of these calls around 3 hours before the scheduled departure times of the respective flights.
The actions by these pilots to call in sick directly caused the airline to cancel over 60 international and domestic flights.
In light of the impact on our customers, Caribbean Airlines moved quickly to recover by pursuing alternatives and leased charters to transport the displaced passengers on international and regional routes. The Port of Port of Spain assisted the airline’s domestic operations, by adding a special ferry sailing that took passengers to and from Tobago.
Due to the high volume of calls being received by our Call Center, customers are asked to kindly update their contact information via https://www.caribbean-airlines.com/#/caribbean-flight- notifications to receive automatic notifications about their flights.
The airline is currently working assiduously to restore flights to their regular schedules.
Caribbean Airlines wholeheartedly apologizes to its customers and stakeholders and thanks the public for their support and understanding as the company works through these challenges.
Please check www.caribbean-airlines.com and the social media channels for information.
PUBLIC STATEMENT
From Caribbean Airlines Limited
DEAR VALUED CUSTOMERS,
We extend our very sincere apologies for the recent disruptions to our flight operations.
We fully understand the frustration and extreme disappointment that such unexpected cancellations can bring, especially when many of you were eagerly anticipating long-awaited vacations and crucial academic journeys. As you may know by now, the disruptions were caused by a high volume of sick calls (93) from pilots scheduled to operate flights over the period August 18 through August 20, 2023. The calls were received just prior to the pilots having to report for duty for their respective flights. This resulted in approximately 60 flights having to be canceled between August 19 and 20. The unavailability of these pilots, combined with the short notice, made it impossible to recover.
In response to this critical situation, Caribbean Airlines, at significant cost — immediately wet-leased two aircraft, obtained accommodation for stranded passengers and took legal advice. Thereafter, the company obtained an injunction from the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago against the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) to bring a stop to the disruption. We took these measures to safeguard the interests of our valued customers, our amazing staff and our beloved airline. Our aim was to do our best to return stability to our operations, and we are now actively working towards restoring our flights to their regular schedules.
Like you, we are very saddened by these developments. Over the years, we have been witnessing with great pride the significant strides the airline has made, thanks in no small part to the unwavering support of the taxpayers of Trinidad and Tobago. This support has enabled us to enhance our services, expand our route network, and continually improve the travel experience for our valued customers. The events over the past few days have put a significant damper on what have been very positive developments for Caribbean Airlines, and that is a shame.
We cannot conclude this message without pointing out that operationally, our entire team — from our dedicated ground staff, front-end personnel, cabin crew, reservations call centres, maintenance, and management — were as per usual fully prepared to ensure the smooth functioning of our flights. Despite our meticulous planning and state of readiness, we could not have anticipated or adequately prepared for these unfortunate events. We thank the entire team for their continued commitment during what was a very difficult period.
Once again, on behalf of all of us at Caribbean Airlines, we apologize to all our affected passengers. We deeply regret the distress caused by these disruptions, which were beyond our control, and the subsequent impact on your very important travel plans.
We accept that this is a significant setback in our relationship with you. However, we are resolute in our commitment to restoring the trust and affection upon which this most valuable relationship is based, and in so doing, ensure that your future travel experiences are as smooth and pleasant as you rightfully expect.
Sincerely,
The Caribbean Airlines Team
