CARIBBEAN Airlines (CAL) obtained an injunction from the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago to prevent the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) and its members from engaging in industrial action, including mass sick calls.

The injunction also barred pilots who had participated in such action from continuing to do so.
The airline sought legal intervention after receiving calls from 75 pilots between August 19 and 20, 2023, claiming illness and, thereby, being unable to fulfil their duties.
According to a press release, these calls were received just hours before scheduled flights, causing over 60 flights to be cancelled, which greatly inconvenienced passengers.
The airline said that it swiftly took measures to address the situation, leasing additional aircraft and accommodations for stranded travellers while obtaining legal guidance.
These actions culminated in obtaining the aforementioned injunction against TTALPA to mitigate the disruptions.

The Port Authority of Port of Spain assisted the airline’s domestic operations, by adding a special ferry sailing which took passengers to and from Tobago.
Acknowledging the distress caused to passengers due to these events, CAL expressed profound regret for the inconvenience and emphasised its commitment to restoring the trust between the airline and its passengers.

Despite the setback, the company is determined to ensure smoother travel experiences for its customers in the future.
For automatic flight notifications and updates, passengers are encouraged to update their contact details on the official Caribbean Airlines website: https://www.caribbean-airlines.com/#/caribbean-flight-notifications.

The airline said it is diligently working towards restoring its regular flight schedules and appreciates the public’s support during this challenging time.
“As you may know by now, the disruptions were caused by a high volume of sick calls (93) from pilots scheduled to operate flights over the period August 18 through August 20, 2023. The calls were received just prior to the pilots having to report for duty for their respective flights,” CAL said.

The airline added that this resulted in approximately 60 flights having to be cancelled between August 19 and 20 and the unavailability of these pilots, combined with the short notice, made it impossible to recover.

In response to the critical situation, Caribbean Airlines, at a significant cost, immediately wet-leased two aircraft, obtained accommodation for stranded passengers and took legal advice.

Thereafter, the company obtained an injunction from the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago against the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) to bring a stop to the disruption.

“We took these measures to safeguard the interests of our valued customers, our amazing staff and our beloved airline. Our aim was to do our best to return stability to our operations, and we are now actively working towards restoring our flights to their regular schedules,” CAL stated.

Noting that the events over the past few days have put a significant damper on what have been very positive developments for Caribbean Airlines, they accept that this is a significant setback in their relationship with passengers.

However, the airline said it is resolute in its commitment to restoring the trust and affection upon which this most valuable relationship is based, and in so doing, ensure that their future travel experiences are as smooth and pleasant as passengers rightfully expect.

“Once again, on behalf of all of us at Caribbean Airlines, we apologise to all our affected passengers. We deeply regret the distress caused by these disruptions, which were beyond our control, and the subsequent impact on your very important travel plans,” CAL said.