TCI: Status of Inbound and Outbound Mail Service

#Providenciales, October 4, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – During the past four weeks issues have arisen with the inbound and outbound mail to and from the Unites States due to circumstances beyond the control of the US Postal and Bureau Services.

Inbound and outbound mail is transported to and from the United States via American Airlines. The Unites States Postal Services is responsible for coordination and remuneration of inbound mail to the Turks and Caicos Islands whilst the Turks and Caicos Islands Government through the Postal Services is responsible for the coordination and remuneration of outbound mail.

A few weeks ago the Turks and Caicos Islands Postal Services was informed by United States Counterparts that due to downgrade of the size of aeroplane used by American Airlines to fly into the Turks and Caicos Islands there was reduced cargo space and by extension no capacity to accommodate inbound mail to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

In the interim, the Turks and Caicos Islands Postal Service in conjunction with the United States Postal Services worked assiduously to remedy the situation. To this end the United States Postal Services was able to make arrangements with Delta Airlines to accommodate inbound mail to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The first batch of mail under this new arrangement arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands today, October 3, 2018. Under this new arrangement inbound mail would arrive daily into the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A similar arrangements is being made to address the issue of Outbound Mail to ensure that mail is dispatched in a timely manner.

American Airlines has informed us that by December 19^th, 2018 they will resume normal service engaging larger planes into and out of the Turks and Caicos Islands and thus will resume our previous arrangement of transporting outbound mail to the United States.

Inbound mail from the United Kingdom arrives twice weekly on British Airways and as such there has been no disruption to inbound mail from the United Kingdom.

Commenting on this issue Minister with responsibility for postal services Hon. Vaden Williams stated; “The importance of postal services to the Turks and Caicos Islands cannot be underestimated. I am therefore grateful for the efforts of the Postmistress General in sourcing alternative means of transferring mail to and from the Islands. We seek the patience of the public in this matter as my Ministry work to restore normalcy to this essential service.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs is thankful to Delta Airlines for the service they will render in the interim and extends apologies for any inconvenience experienced by our clients for the temporary disruption.

Release: TCIG