BWIA faces huge luggage claims cost
-woes continue
Stabroek News
December 25, 2004
BWIA has been paying out at least $5,000 a day to some 150 passengers on flights arriving here from December 17 when the current luggage woes began, sources told Stabroek News yesterday.
According to the sources, the cost of meeting this and other passenger obligations has amounted to a tidy sum.
BWIA Area Manager, Carlton DeFour responding to a query about cost from this newspaper on Thursday, had merely said the airline was paying out a significant sum.
Hundreds of passengers whose luggage had not accompanied them on flights arriving from several destinations over the last week or so have been flocking to the local office to claim the US$25 per day compensation being offered for being inconvenienced. BWIA is also dealing with claims arising from broached suitcases. It is expected that these claims, most of which will be absorbed by the airline's insurers will have run into millions of dollars by the time normalcy prevails.
The discovery of tears in the material lining the cargo holds of BWIA aircraft on December 17 saw the airline being barred from transporting luggage in the compartments until remedial measures were taken. In the interim specially chartered flights were laid on to uplift luggage for transport to the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, sources at the airport told this newspaper yesterday that there had been relative quiet there with persons continuing to uplift their bags which arrived via DHL special charter on Wednesday and Thursday. However BWIA flights into Guyana continued to experience delays.
DeFour yesterday continued to meet with disgruntled customers as part of the airline's fence-mending efforts. He said the airline would continue to do the things necessary to allow it to remain competitive. The BWIA manager had also viewed as a worthwhile suggestion providing nametags for personnel so that they could be easily identifiable in the event of passengers claiming ill treatment.