News
TCI based interCaribbean Airways announces temporary reduction in flights
By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, May 12, 2022 – InterCaribbean Airways announced it has cut 10 percent of flights and it is due to labour shortages, revealed a company statement.
“While transportation and travel have made a remarkable recovery from the pandemic, the pendulum has now swung the other way. The demand for flights is causing a global shortage of pilots and other personnel, as well as lengthy delays in getting pilots into the limited number of certified training facilities around the world.
The labor shortage is only one of the issues facing the industry. Supply chains have been disrupted everywhere. Something as simple as printing Immigration forms, which used to take a matter of days, now takes weeks or months to get; everything has become more expensive and less predictable or available.”
The scaled-back service will last until June 30 according to a company statement.
“Northern Caribbean services between Providenciales and the Capital, Grand Turk will now operate three daily frequencies. Providenciales to Haiti will operate to Cap Haitian three times weekly, and to Port-au-Prince twice per week. Nassau, Bahamas will reduce service to five weekly frequencies, and Kingston, Jamaica to six times weekly.
In the Eastern Caribbean, our service between Providenciales and Antigua is discontinued for the period. Adjustments to our service to/from Tortola have been made with some 78 flights cut over the period to Antigua,
The statement explained ICA is forced to cut as many as 78 flights over the period to destinations like Antigua, Dominica, and San Juan.
Lyndon Gardiner, Chairman of the airline, which he founded in TCI some 30 years ago said at a time when there is a boom, it seems odd to cut back… “but we need to balance the demand, ensuring we maintain our schedule integrity.”
The explanation came as local complaints about the airline hit a high note when Turks and Caicos CARIFTA athletes were delayed getting to Jamaica by three hours.
At that time, during the Easter Break, Magnetic Media was informed that the delays had nothing to do with an overwhelming flight load or insufficient planes.
Lyndon Gardiner explained issues created by shortages in staff during the pandemic were not limited to shipping. It was also affecting the airline industry. He pointed to delays in the thousands of major airlines and airport hubs; explaining interCaribbean’s delays were unfortunate but comparatively minuscule.
In a press release, the company maintained the spectacular cutback is not permanent.
“This temporary reduction in capacity is the best action we could take to avoid the delays and last-minute cancellations that have recently let our guests down. We are committed to our mission to provide safe, comfortable, affordable, and punctual air service throughout the Caribbean, and with the support of our guests and team members, we will overcome this period. The stated reduction in frequencies is temporary.”