Airport placed on stand-by over ‘technical anomaly’
(CNS) Updated 6:15pm: The emergency services were all placed on standby at Owen Roberts International Airport Monday lunchtime but the Cayman Airways aircraft in question landed safely. In a release from the airline on Monday evening officials expained that flight KX832 departed Grand Cayman for Havana, Cuba, at 1:25pm and "experienced a technical anomaly shortly into the flight", which resulted in the captain returning to the airport as a precautionary measure. CAL said the incident didn't constitute an emergency and one was never declared, despite initial rumours to the contrary. "The captain did however request for emergency crews to be on stand-by in an abundance of caution," CAL stated.
"At no time was the safe operation of the aircraft in question and the aircraft in fact accomplished a safe and uneventful landing at 1:57pm. On landing, the aircraft was removed from service for the anomaly to be addressed and a replacement aircraft was positioned and prepared to accomplish the flight to Havana, which departed at 5:30pm," the national flag carrier stated.
As a result, Cayman Airways’ Miami flights KX106 and KX107 between Grand Cayman and Miami this evening are expected to be delayed approximately 3.5 hours.
Cayman Airways President and CEO, Fabian Whorms, said, “As always, we know that the presence of emergency services for any landing causes concern for our passengers and the community at large, but we would like to give an assurance that the emergency services requested to be on standby in this instance, was purely precautionary. Our highly competent operating crews will at times request for airport emergency services to be on stand-by when landings are being undertaken with even minor anomalies, and this is a testament to the paramount importance we place on safety,” he added.
Cayman Airways apologized for any inconvenience the precautionary return to the airport, and subsequent delays, may have caused for passengers.
Category: Local News
Yep thats what the governments needs to do get rid of the 737's buy 2 dash 8's , service the sister islands and call it a day. unless you all think we should keep up the subsides just to provide jobs.
After a quick google search this popped up http://www.legislativeassembly.ky/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/LGLHOME/BUSINESS/BUSINESS/REPORTS/REPORTS20132014/CAYMAN%20AIRWAYS%20FINANCIAL%20STATEMENT%20-%20JUNE%202008_1.PDF seem as if one of the leases expired up to just recently, but it seems like we might have actully bougth those planes if a request to have done so had been approved by the FCO back in mid 2013 http://www.compasscayman.com/journal/2013/06/05/National-airline-faces-tough-choices/ maybe it is time to dig a little further as to what we have flying us on a daily basis.
Let's hope the planes were not bought.
Its very unfortunate that the management of the airline does not have a clue about management of an airline! To suggest that the country should make such poor investment in the current planes is telling of the intelligence of the airlines management. They also have no clue how to run schedules, routes or service their clientele. It is a most hostile counter staff that greets paying passemgers on a daily basis and nothing is done about it, it is perhaps because the management feels overly secure in their positions and are really not earning their top salary pay cheques that you and I fund everyday. Government should offer to divest some of the ownership shares to these same persons and see if they would waste money in the same manner. We need a sharp business minded indivudual to run the airline with a good team of competent heads of departments that are customer focused (both internal as if your staff is unhappy which they are, then they cannot adequately service the outside customers).
The airline has long servng staff that need good leadership, unfortunately that is missing so you will always get mediocre economic and financial results.
The company that leases those planes to us must be laughing at us watching us struggling to keep their old heaps of junk flying. It's timeto upgrade! For the prices we pay we should have newer, more comfortable planes!
I always fly on American.
And bright spark, I suppose AA doesn't have maintenance issues?
"Sir that is your plane for the 6 o'clock Miami flight on the runway. But the flight to Jamaica had technical problems, so we are using this plane to go to Jamaica and it is stopping at the Brac on the way back, so then we have to refuel and clean the plane and have it ready for you to go to Miami, so we reckon the flight will leave at aboout 11 o'clock. Probably. But you can sit in the world's worst departure lounge and watch your plane leave at the time it would have been taking you to where you want to go."
If you think that Owen Roberts has the world's worst departure lounge then you are not widely travelled. Far from it.
Yes AA has maintenance issues, I flew on them worldwide for over 15 years and there was the odd problem, but they also have backup aircraft and proper technical facilities when things go wrong.
The problem with CAL is simple – it's too small to be viable on it's own and needs to start a code sharing agreement with one of the major carriers to reduce it's fleet committments.
Heck, thats what companies like BA, Virgin and most other real airlines do so why not CAL? I'll tell you why – stupid pride as in, "We gotta have all our own airplanes painted in our own fancy colours to be a real airlne." 40 years ago that might have worked but in 2014? No way!
Maybe it's time for the upgrade, I'd rather money been spent on some new planes than risking it with these older model planes they are currently flying.
I try to travel KX always but recently their service has sucked big time, from putting all my family in different seats on a flight and telling us there was no other option and boarding the flight to see the back of the plane totally empty, to canceling my ticket after my connecting flight was delayed because of weather and stranding me in Miami, also they are turning a blind eye to alot of customers that are been forced to fly to Kansas City because of CINICO with no true connecting option, most of those patients have to overnight or endure multipule stops, while been forced to fly KX.
We need better & newer planes with less problems!
These planes are antiquated. I would venture to bet that each of those aircraft are at least 18 years old. What the national carrier needs to do is go to the leasing companies such as GECAS or ILFC and negotiate for updated versions of the 737 such as the 700 or 800. For the money that is paid for a 60 minute flight to Miami, this type of service delays are unacceptable.
The youngest in the fleet is 20-plus years old.. Soon be looking like a third world airline.
We did that back in the early 90s and had to return the aircraft because they were too expensive.
Mr. Whorms this a daily occurrence and to be quite frank, I am getting a bit scared to support my national airline. Clearly the planes are over worked, old and maintanance is now being done in another country to cut costs. What reassurance can you give me to ensure all FAA standards are being complied with and what would you suggest for me to do so I don't waste two days of my vacation in airports going and coming if continue to support CAL?
What Fabian and the board needs to look at are the age of the aircraft. Two of these planes are over 20 years old and the other two are approaching 20 years.
Are there any plans by the PPM government to start renogiating the leases on these aircraft for a younger modern fleet or are they going to do like Truman did and wait until they are worn out and have to be retrofitted to be allowed to fly into the USA and then buy them, fly them for a couple more years and then send them to the Mojave Desert as junk?
I have every faith in the maintenance department to keep the aircraft safe and in the air but these machines do wear out and break more often as they age and planning now to replace them would be proactive for the PPM.
CNS ..Maybe you should ask Moses what his thoughts are in this area.
Here are the ages of the aircraft if anybody is interested
VP-CKY 21.5 years old
VP-CAY 21.1 years old
VP-CKW 18 years old
VP-CKW 17.8 years old.
Quite right. These are four airplanes at or past the end of their planned economic lives and they are now probably worth more parted out than flying.
These 737s are all leased so they should be retired and upgraded.
Willing to bet that the return conditions on the existing leases are too onerous for Cayman Airways to break / end the lease. That's how it works with older aircraft….the lessor doesn't want them back either.
I would be willing to bet that Cayman Airways has stupidly paid for expensive D Checks on these airplanes while still continuing with the leases rather than negotiating to lease other aircraft. these are million dollar checks and do nothing for Cayman Airways but helps the leasing company becasue they don't have to pay for it and they get back an aircraft better than they leased it. Then they can send it off to somewhere in Central America where they can lease them to the domestic carriers who don't have to abide by all the US/UK regulations..
This has been the modus operandi at Cayman Airways for years and they still don't get it.
Stupid is as Stupid does, I always say..
it is very interesting that a member of the public seems to make more sense of the situation than the CEO. or is this all just an anomaly too? dont insult the intelligence of the travelling public anymore, be honest if you know how.
Always best to be on the safe side whatever the reason
What is going on with Cayman Airways anyway. They have good pilots, but hell, they can only do so much. Why am I feeling that the comany needs to spend more money on maintainance. Beside I know the Cuba flights and the Brac flights are always given problems. I would suggest that you send those planes for a BIG CHECK UP.
I was underthe same impression until I started checking out http://avherald.com I then realized that Cayman Airways did not have any problems and that they were running a good show.
Or not reporting the problems properly?
The frequency of flight delays and problems due to aircraft maintenance concerns appears to be a continuing problem with KX. Of 4 flights I have been on during the past several months, every one has been delayed due to a reported aircraft issue of some type .With origins being Tampa,Miami, KIngston and Grand Cayman. Anyone else???
I am a frequent flyer from the USA to the Caymans. In the last couple years about 80% of the time my flights on Cayman Airways have all been delayed by many hours and also due to plane maintenance probems, therefore I have been flying on American Airlines cause I hate to fly Cayman Airways anymore. I am a Caymanian like to support my national carrier but I hate the delays and fear of going down in death cause of poor maintenance of the KX planes.
Mr Moses and Mr Whorms, you get get this problem fix right away if you want to have people flying Cayman Airways
Moses isn't concerned about replacing the 737's. He is looking for his DASH 8 for for the Brac and Little Cayman..It's all to make a name for themselves..Politics as usual.
You won't hear a word from Moses on this…Trust me!
So sad but true I don’t think he’s concern about this country as whole. At this rate Cayman Airways won’t be around much longer those men who are the in charge don’t really care hence why there are no major changes within the airline. So Next Gen 737 will never be in Cayman Airways colours. Blue Sky Airlines will be much more successful one major factor its privatized! No Government interference no “Good Ole Boys Network” to please. A few young Caymanians will get opportunities in all areas of the company and feedback from the public will be used. Let’s support this start-up company and watch the growth and high revenue and profits roll in.
It's not for the average Joe or Jane. It's for the money people. You know the "Good Ole Boys Network".
Those of you bashing Cayman Airways go to http://avherald.com and search for your favourite ailine and guess what; they have more problems than Cayman Airways.