Grand Turk tourism takes hit due to fire crew strike at JAGS McCartney Int’l Airport, comments reach social media

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – March 23, 2018 – Guests are stuck in Grand Turk and cannot get to their  outbound flights in Providenciales due to the strike of the airport fire crew which claims that they are suffering inhumane conditions on the job.

Magnetic Media has seen at least one social media post which is critical of the government for allowing the problems of the fire men and women at the JAGS McCartney International Airport to fester for so long.

The fire team has been in a container, which has no restroom facilities or electricity, for 10 years now; forced to be there after Hurricane Ike of 2008 destroyed their office at the aerodrome, according to an advocate for the group.

The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, which is one of the richest statutory bodies operating in the country employs the fire crew and is slammed for being ‘tight-fisted’ with the fire crew when it comes to improvements to their work environment and their employee contracts.

“We’re running a very busy Guest Accommodations business in Grand Turk and we can’t get guests out or into the island.  Many people here depend on their income from us.  This country has a $25 million surplus budget, yet this government can’t even manage to take care of essential services like running an airport.  I don’t blame the firemen for striking – show some respect for what they do.”

It is reported that two Cabinet Ministers were today flown out of Grand Turk via helicopter because all commercial flights are grounded into and out of the JAGS McCartney International because there is, “inadequate fire coverage at Grand Turk Airport.”

The TCIAA in a media statement issued around 11:30am said: “It is rather unfortunate that all flight operations at #JAGSMcCartney InternationalAirport in Grand Turk has been temporarily suspended until further notice.  The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) expresses their sincere regret and extend apologies to their stakeholders and the traveling public for all inconvenience caused by the disruption of flight operations.  This disruption is due to inadequate fire service coverage. It is noted that of the eight scheduled firemen, only one showed up for work today which is insufficient to resume full operations.  All efforts are being made to restore safe flight operations in a short a time as possible, as alternate options are being sought.  The TCIAA shall inform the general public once flights operations are able to resume.”

Magnetic Media has reached out a second time to the TCIAA for an update on the likelihood of resolve, and soon, of the issues expressed to us by the Fire Crew.

The JAGS McCartney International Airport remains only partially operational and open due to severe damage caused by September 2017’s Hurricanes Irma and Maria.