Irate passengers storm BWIA office
-special flight to bring delayed luggage today
By Oscar P. Clarke
Stabroek News
December 22, 2004
Irate passengers peppering BWIA management over their delayed luggage. In this photo with back to camera (second from right) is BWIA Area Manager Carlton DeFour. The meeting was also attended by private sector representatives, Georgetown Chamber of Comme
A near riot broke out at the BWIA office yesterday as frustrated passengers, some of whom arrived here since last week, sought answers regarding their luggage left back at various ports.
Late yesterday, BWIA announced that a special DHL cargo flight will arrive today with most of the luggage.
The luggage, most of which had been transported as cargo to Trinidad and Barbados on special flights, had been awaiting forward movement to Guyana for days.
In a media release late yesterday BWIA advised passengers to contact the following hotline numbers 261-2202, 261-2331 or 261-2363 from 4 pm today regarding delivery of their bags.
"Passengers are asked to be ready to give their names and flight details when they call.
"Passengers will be advised as to the time and location at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport for collection of their bags," the release said.
Meanwhile, a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said that Minister of Foreign Trade, Clement Rohee yesterday telephoned Trinidad Industry Minister, Ken Valley on the plight of hundreds of Guyanese passengers who have been stranded by BWIA at various ports. GINA said that Valley said that this was due to a shortage of aircraft. He said several flights left yesterday and the build-up of passengers should be cleared by today.
Yesterday agitated passengers pushed down the door and poured inside the BWIA office in Robb Street demanding to know how soon their luggage would arrive.
Others wanted to know what compensation would be given for the inconvenience and having their luggage broached, as some had experienced already.
A security officer who attempted in vain to maintain some semblance of order was pushed and punched. And BWIA staff sought refuge in adjacent offices as vociferous passengers demanded an audience with management.
To compound the problem, BWIA flights have continued to arrive with passengers minus their luggage, including one which arrived from Miami on Monday night.
But some passengers who arrived on flights over the past few days have begun to receive their suitcases although many complained that they were broached. These bags arrived on a BWIA flight from Trinidad.
The airline has expressed regrets to passengers, assuring them that assiduous attempts are being made to correct the situation. It is unclear how many passengers were affected by the luggage problem but on two separate visits yesterday to the BWIA office Stabroek News counted around 80 persons. Some estimates have put the number in the hundreds.
BWIA's Area Manager Carlton DeFour told agitated passengers yesterday afternoon at the local office that the situation was as a result of problems with the cargo holds on BWIA's aircraft. BWIA had been asked to make adjustments to the cargo compartments on its five Boeing aircraft in keeping with increased security measures. DeFour said the airline had been required to replace eroded lining in the cargo hold, a task for which it had been receiving concessions to complete. However, because of the numbers of passengers booked to travel at this time of the year, the airline has had to juggle its fleet as it releases planes to have the new lining fitted. BWIA has been flying passengers minus their bags since Friday last, he said.
Earlier yesterday, this newspaper had asked DeFour whether in fact, BWIA had not been directed to reconfigure the cargo holds on its Boeing aircraft to allow sniffer dogs to climb in. The manager reserved comment on this.
Questioned about whether passengers had been advised at departure points of the likelihood that their luggage might not arrive with them at their destination, DeFour said he was aware that some had been told. The area manager repeated this at a meeting later with a group from the private sector, adding that airline personnel at a North American destination had informed some passengers on Monday.
However, a passenger with whom this newspaper spoke disputed DeFour's claim and stated that many persons would have made alternative arrangements if they had been so informed.
Prior to the audience with DeFour, passengers who had gone to the Beewee office were upset about the scarcity of information from airline personnel on their luggage. Many were also concerned about the company's failure to offer compensation before the arrival of their belongings.
Some passengers told this newspaper they had been forced to await the arrival of their luggage before the airline refunded them for expenses incurred as a result of waiting.
However, late yesterday BWIA personnel were issuing the US$25 per day compensation which has a limit of four days. On expiration of this period, passengers will be required to make claims to the airline using the laid down procedure, DeFour said.
Beewee had offered to contact passengers on the arrival of their belongings, but many chose to seek out their luggage for fear of waiting in vain. Passengers also complained that their luggage was being badly handled and some had even been broached.
DeFour said every effort is being made to ensure that suitcases at the CJIA, at Piarco in Trinidad and Grantley Adams in Barbados are secured. But he told passengers that claims with respect to lost items once made would be settled by the airline.
Some passengers are contemplating legal action against the airline for breach of contract after they had paid sums in advance for flights to the region. They bemoaned the fact that the airline seemed only concerned with profits instead of concentrating on other aspects of customer care.
"No one has the courtesy to call and say sorry for the inconvenience," one angry passenger said.
Some even suggested that there seems to be special treatment being meted out to Guyanese and this may be as a result of a lack of competition on some routes.
Meanwhile, at a meeting arranged and mediated by members of a private sector delegation passengers related their plight.
One passenger, Richard Tross, travelling from Antigua to Guyana via Barbados accused BWIA of kidnapping passengers and taking them to Piarco against their will on Sunday where they were told to disembark the plane.
Vigorous objections by passengers who refused to leave even after security was summoned resulted in a decision being taken to fly them to Timehri.
Another passenger who flew from Botswana in Southern Africa said she had been waiting for several days to hear about her belongings but has not been able to get proper answers from the airline.