interCaribbean two smooth landings, one troubled flight

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, December 22, 2021 – Even as the pandemic makes it harder to get from one place to another, regional travel in the Caribbean is rebounding. Inter Caribbean airways landed the first of what will become regular flights from Barbados to Guyana on Friday.

The airline announced a spate of new flights from Barbados to Guyana, St Vincent ,Grenada, St Lucia , and twice-weekly flights to Providenciales.

Amidst the celebration early this week one of their flights flight en route to the Dominican Republic from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands experienced a mid-air malfunction. CEO Trevor Sadler said it was not as grave as some media reports made it out to be.

Preliminary reports indicated that the JY411 aircraft had left from the Turks and Caicos; Sadler said that was incorrect; the flight originated in the BVI.

The CEO told Magnetic Media , the flight was minutes out from its destination in Santo Domingo when there was a malfunction with one of its air conditioning components causing smoke to fill the cabin. The crew requested emergency services on landing as a precaution.

The aircraft made a safe landing and was then inspected.

The issue was corrected and the aircraft returned to service after consultation with the Local Civil Aviation Authority.

In a statement, Sadler said InterCaribbean takes pride in its 30 year history of safe operations.  He reflected on the new routes from Provo to Barbados and Barbados to Guyana, and said interCaribbean airways safely operates dozens of flights a day to support regional travel.

The airline was welcomed to Guyana with a water cannon salute.