Cayman Airways Express flights cancelled
(CNS): After both Cayman Airways Express Twin Otter aircraft were grounded, three tourists staying on Little Cayman who were scheduled to fly back to London today (29 April) chartered a helicopter to Grand Cayman to catch a connecting flight home. Other guests on the island are travelling by boat to Cayman Brac to catch a 4:00 pm flight. CAL have now announced additional jet flights between Cayman Brac today and tomorrow due to unscheduled maintenance on both Twin Otter aircrafts.
In a release, the airline have said that today, flight 2105 departs Grand Cayman for Cayman Brac at 3pm, arriving at 3:30pm. That flight returns to Grand Cayman as flight 2406, departing the Brac at 4pm, with a 4:30pm arrival on Grand Cayman. On Thursday 30 April, flight 2401 departs Grand Cayman for Cayman Brac at 9am, arriving at 9:30am. That flight returns to Grand Cayman as flight 2102, departing the Brac at 10am, arriving on Grand Cayman at 10:30am.
Little Cayman Beach Resort Manager, Jason Belporte, told CNS that the resort’s dive operation had already scheduled one boat to go to Cayman Brac today and another tomorrow to refuel, and they were carrying stranded guests for no charge and bringing arriving visitors back to Little Cayman on their return. Because of this, he said the situation was not critical and they were working with Cayman Airways, and that the guests seemed happy with the arrangements.
A spokesperson from the Southern Cross Club, where the guests who chartered the helicopter were staying, said they had to return to the UK to attend afuneral and described trying to arrange for them to catch their flight as “a nightmare”.
One of the Twin Otters hasapparently not been flying since Friday and the other was reportedly grounded today, though Cayman Airways has not yet said when the aircraft will be operational again.
A Grand Cayman resident on a working trip to Cayman Brac said the delays were frustrating but that things could be worse. “When we got to the airport this morning for our 8 o’clock flight we were told that both planes were broken and that there may or may not be a flight out today,” she said. However, the passenger said she was still at the airport at around 9:30 when they were told there would be a jet this afternoon and understood that Cayman Airways had chartered a jet from a US airline.
"Cayman Airways’ reservations is working diligently to inform and accommodate all affected passengers, and apologises for any inconveniences caused. Cayman Airways will update the travelling public with more information as it is received," a release from the airline stated.
Category: Headline News
Agree with the comments that this service interruption wouldn’t have been a major problem had Island Air not been forced out of business a few years ago due to dirty politics that made CAL into a monopoly.
The simplest solution to the Brac’s airlift problem would be to simply require that all airline’s international schedules are required to have 20% of their flights also make a stop on the Brac, and evenly distributed (inbound-outbound & days of the week).
Thus, if Grand gets 50 international flights per week (7 per day), then the Brac gets 10 flights per week, half of which will be ‘inbound’ over to Grand, and half will be outbound (international).
Thus, the cost of an empty seats to/from the Brac gets shared by all airlines, not just CAL.
D.T.
Replacement Twin Otter en route
17+ miles? Boy, you takin the long way! Part of the attraction of Little Cayman to the tourists is the element of uncertainty and remoteness, so I think they will be just fine.
I definitely agree with that!! In fact, it was probably an adventure GETTING to Little Cayman in the first place. It certainly wouldn’t keep me from going back to Brac or Little Cayman. What a cool story to tell when you get back home. "The resort provided us with ferry service to the sister island so that we coud get a flight back to Grand Cayman. The seas were a little rough, but we certainly enjoyed one last ride across the beautiful Caribbean Sea and we were happy to do it!! It was great fun!"
Yep. Adventure and uncertainty in paradise. Everyone survived and nobody ended up with Swine Flu!
Any of you ever checked to see that on a daily basis the express is the only flight into and out of the Brac and Little?
I must say that the new temp jet service is what we have longed for.
Go CAL!!!
I agree with Terminator!!! People in Cayman carry on like only Cayman Airways breaks down. I have travelled all over the world and have had numerous delays and missed flights because of aircraft problems. On different occassions over the past five years I have missed flights and suffered delays that sometimes lasted from a few hours to a day on American Airlines, British Airways, US Airways and Air Jamaica all because of airplanes that broke down. It is very frustrating when this happens, but what can we do other than roll with the flow, the only thing that we can hope for is to get additional frequent flyer miles and vouchers for a meal and accomodations because of the inconvenience.
They could buy planes lined with gold and they would still break. I do seem to remember however that Island Air’s planes were breaking from time to time, as planes do. However, they had three of them.
Who had the Portfolio for Tourism?????
Daaaaaaaa Mr. Chucky Lucy!!!!
So I am a REAL Bracker who lives in the Brac, & Mechanical Problems is something we Live with!!!
Our new Airline which was promised was not seen Important at anytime Whilst CHUCKY Lucky was in charge of this portfolio.
So to the Chucky FAn, i say get reallllllllllllll & look at the facts not his fan base which if you see has declined by 99.9% except for you……..
A Bracker Who DEFINATELY LIVES IN THE BRAC!!
How can this be Chucky’s fault! This can happen to any airlines. Why is it that everytime something happens in the Cayman islands it’s PPM or UDP fault? Things happend for a reason and only god knows why. Better they break down on land instead of in the air then we would have one lawsuit on our ass that PPm nor UDP could pay. Next time u wanna say something think first (Disgusted Bracker). I am a young Bracker who lives in Grand Cayman and all unny do up there is complain, be thankful for what you have since Paloma destroyed our beautiful island. Instead of posting comments about the past, go and try help clean up cayman brac and get it back on track. PPM and UDP cannot do everything for us. When 20 May come, vote for who you think will be best to help Brackers not if he/she family or friend with you. Vote for someone who will open the doors and allow us Brackers living in grand cayman to come back home with our children.
Does anyone think the guests that now are coming across the 17+ miles of 5 foot seas are ever ever ever going to come back to the caymans.. regardless of the boat everything they own is going to be soaked.
When is someone going to say enough is enough and throw that crap airline out of here. They are doing nothing but destroying everything everyone else works so hard to make happen here in the sisters. Everyone here deserves more then Cayman Air.
So frustrated at this.
I’ve travelled with many airlines and i have to say Cayman Airways have the best staff I’ve come across. Friendly and accommodating, most CA staff will go out of their way to ensure that the flights to and from Cayman are comfortable and enjoyable. Most times Cayman Airways are on time and even when they are delayed, well every airline faces the same issues. When a hurricane is coming, its Cayman Airways staff who work long, long hours getting as many people off the islands as possible, even when their time could be better spent at home preparing their families for a storm. PLEASE give credit where credit is due. Cayman Airways is an airline we should all be proud of.
So how are you going to blame this problem on Chucky. Things mechanical will break from time to time….even new planes, cars etc. Surely if you are a Bracker you will know that this has happened several times in the past and when Chucky wasnt the Minister. Whose fault was that then ? Just mechanical I guess ! ……U r so biased its pitiful.
If only Island Air had been allowed to survive we would have a plane ready to fill in. I hope Southern Cross/Little Cayman Beach resort etc. get compensated by airline
Ok Chucky ,Lucky can you see the need for proper Air Transportation NOW!!
I know you will be OUT coming May 20th so who ever gets this responsibilty PLEASE PLEASE do pay attention to this GRAVE concern for the survival of the Brac UNLIKE the past waster!!!
Disgusted Bracker.
It was a year or two ago that Mr. Kirkconnell from Cayman Brac was advocating for new aircraft. Too bad the other MLA voiced opposition. It would seem high time Cayman Brac was servied by larger more comfortable aircraft